Performance of integrated FDG-PET/contrast-enhanced CT in the staging and restaging of colorectal cancer: comparison with PET and enhanced CT.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of PET/CT as a one step examination in patients with colorectal cancer. Therefore we proved whether diagnostic PET/CT adds information over PET or contrast-enhanced CT alone for staging or restaging of patients with colorectal cancer.


METHODS
Seventy-three patients (46 males and 27 females; age range: 50-81 years; mean age: 67 years) with known colorectal cancer underwent 18F-FDG-PET/CT for staging or restaging.


RESULTS
Of the 73 patients 26 patients underwent PET/CT for staging and 47 for restaging. 266 metastases could be detected in 60 patients. Contrast-enhanced PET/CT had a lesion-based sensitivity of 100%, contrast-enhanced CT of 91% and PET of 85%. PET/CT identified 2 lesions as false positive. PET/CT could also reach a patient-based sensitivity of 100%, which was superior to contrast-enhanced CT and PET.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study clearly demonstrated the added value of contrast-enhanced PET/CT in staging and restaging patients with colorectal cancer over CT and PET alone.
Dirisamer
Albert
A
Department of Nuclear Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, Seilerstaette 4, 4010 Linz, Austria. albert.dirisamer@meduniwien.ac.at
Halpern
Benjamin S
BS
Flöry
Daniel
D
Wolf
Florian
F
Beheshti
Mohsen
M
Mayerhoefer
Marius E
ME
Langsteger
Werner
W
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018511:Systems Integration; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18