[Staging of non-small cell lung cancer. Diagnosis efficacy of structural (CT) and functional (FDG-PET) imaging methods].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate diagnostic accuracy of FDG-PET in the definition of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and analyze diagnostic validity of CT scan and FDG-PET in its staging.


METHODS
Patients with clinical suspicion of potentially resectable NSCLC (n = 108) were studied by standard procedures in our setting, including fibrobronchoscopy, transthoracic fine-needle aspiration, thoracoabdominal CT scan and FDG-PET. Gold standard was histopathological study in patients who underwent surgery and by specific imaging methods and biopsy, when available, in patients who did not.


RESULTS
In 13% of patients, the FDG-PET findings were negative and no tumor was observed in the histological study of the piece. In 22% of patients, FDG-PET detected metastatic disease (M0 by CT scan). For mediastinal involvement, global diagnostic accuracy was 0.90 with FDG-PET and 0.59 with CT scan. False positive FDG-PET findings were produced by inflammatory conditions and false negative findings by the small size or proximity of lymph nodes to primary tumor. Mediastinal staging by CT scan and FDG-PET was correct in 56% and 87% of patients, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Although complementary, the functional method (FDG-PET) is significantly superior to the structural method (CT) for detection of mediastinal tumor disease.
Rodríguez Fernández
A
A
Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada. antonio.rodriguez.f.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es
Bellón Guardia
M E
ME
Gómez Río
M
M
Ramos Font
C
C
Sánchez-Palencia Ramos
A
A
Llamas Elvira
J M
JM
Pedraza Muriel
V
V
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18