Significance of PET/CT in determining actual TNM staging for patients with various lung cancers.
We investigated the difference in TNM stage of lung cancer provided by PET/CT (combining positron emission tomography and computed tomography) as compared with TNM stage obtained with conventional imaging studies (CI) with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with iron contrast media. Sixty-seven cases of lung cancer were included in this study. Overall, the rate of correction of TNM staging was 70.1% after PET/CT. The correction rate for each factor was 32.8% in T, 37.3% in N, and 37.3% in M. High rates of correction were observed in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), with 75% (6/8 cases) obtained by PET/CT. When SCLCs were divided into limited disease (n = 6) involving 1 hemithorax, including mediastinal and contralateral hilar lymph nodes, and others (extensive disease, n = 2), the correction rate was as high as 80% for limited disease. In conclusion, PET/CT can provide actual TNM staging and recognition for oncologists in staging, which would not mislead to selection of inadequate subsequent treatment.
Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Kenya
K
Chiba
Midori
M
Isoda
Masako
M
Chiba
Takashi
T
Kanematsu
Susumu
S
Eguchi
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed