title: The impact of PET/CT on therapeutic strategy of patients with colorectal cancer metastasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study's aim was to assess the impact of the PET/CT on the therapeutic strategy of the patients with colorectal cancer metastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients who were suspicious of postoperative colorectal cancer metastasis were included in the study. Each patient received a positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) after received contrast-enhanced computed tomography (ceCT). The therapeutic strategies were made before and after the PET/ CT respectively. The lesions confirmed by pathology or periodic follow up of ceCT (3 and 6 mo).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intrahepatic metastases were present in 5 of the 15 patients, total 9 lesions. The specificities of the PET/CT and ceCT were 100%. The patients with intrahepatic metastases were detected by PET/CT and ceCT with a sensitivity of 100% and 80%, respectively (p = 0.0009). Extrahepatic metastases were present in 11 of the 15 patients, total 32 lesions. The specificities of the PET/CT and ceCT were 75% and 50%, respectively. PET/ CT and ceCT were with a sensitivity of 100% and 63.6%, respectively (p = 0.0177). The therapeutic strategies were changed after received PET/CT in 6 (40%) of the 15 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PET/CT is superior to ceCT for the detection of the metastatic lesions of the colorectal cancer, and is a valuable tool to help select the correct therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Nan
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Mei-Xiong
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Jun-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media