Brain mapping of patients with lung cancer and controls: inquiry into tumor-to-brain communication.
Recent converging evidence suggests that the brain may receive stimuli and possibly modulate tumor progression via the vagus nerve. The present study aimed to compare brain metabolism in patients with and without lung cancer and to assess if significant differences exist in regions associated with the vagus nerve.


METHODS
Eighteen patients with lung malignancy and 19 controls underwent (18)F-FDG PET of the brain. Brain metabolism was compared using statistical parametric mapping.


RESULTS
Patients with lung malignancy showed a statistically significantly higher right cerebellar metabolism.


CONCLUSIONS
This finding may be related to the role of the cerebellum in immune regulation, because of its proximity to the nucleus tractus solitarius innervated by the vagus and its connections with the hypothalamus. This higher metabolism in the right cerebellum may reflect an attempt to reinstate homeostasis in functions such as respiration and immunity pertinent to lung malignancy.
Golan
Haim
H
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel. golanh@asaf.health.gov.il
Kennedy
John A
JA
Frenkel
Alex
A
Parmet
Ysrael
Y
Feintuch
Akiva
A
Levi
Ofer
O
Gidron
Yori
Y
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002450:Cell Communication; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18