Dual-headed coincidence PET vs. dedicated PET/CT in the evaluation of thoracic malignancies.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of coincidence PET imaging as compared with dedicated PET/CT in cancer staging.


METHODS
Sixteen patients with thoracic malignancies referred to a PET/CT examination accepted to repeat the acquisition with a coincidence PET system. One experienced nuclear medicine physician compiled a report from the PET/CT examinations and the coincidence PET images. The reports were compared and evaluated according to the degree of agreement: no agreement, unsatisfactory, acceptable or satisfying agreement.


RESULTS
Satisfying or acceptable agreement between the PET/CT and the coincidence PET examination was found in 14 out of 16 patients (88%). The main issue for the examining physician was to anatomically locate the FDG uptake in the mediastinum in the coincidence PET images.


CONCLUSIONS
The data from this small study imply that the staging results obtained with coincidence PET are in most cases concordant with those obtained with dedicated PET/CT.
Bergström
Stefan
S
Department of Oncology, Gavle Hospital, Sweden.
Holgersson
Georg
G
Bergqvist
Jan-Erik
JE
Bergqvist
Michael
M
Ekman
Simon
S
Stenström
Mats
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18