title: Meta-analysis of the additional value of integrated 18FDG PET-CT for tumor distant metastasis staging: comparison with 18FDG PET alone and CT alone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We performed a meta-analysis to compare the diagnostic performance of integrated (18)FDG PET-CT with that of (18)FDG PET alone and CT alone for the overall assessment of tumor distant metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a meta-analysis of 11 available articles (1107 patients). We calculated sensitivities, specificities, positive likelihood ratios, and negative likelihood ratios for integrated PET-CT, PET alone, and CT alone, respectively. We also constructed summary receiver operating characteristic curves for integrated PET-CT, PET alone, and CT alone, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across 10 comparative studies (1058 patients), integrated PET-CT has higher sensitivity (0.95 vs 0.85) and similar specificity (0.96 vs 0.95) with PET alone. Across 7 comparative studies (745 patients), integrated PET-CT has higher sensitivity (0.97 vs 0.80) and similar specificity (0.97 vs 0.94) with CT alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Integrated PET-CT is the most sensitive and accurate modality for tumor distant metastasis staging. Integrating PET with CT may tend to improve the sensitivity than PET alone and CT alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Central Hospital of Tianjin, Fu'kang Road No. 24, Tianjin 300192, China.
authors.forename: Guangfeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Biyan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
keywords: Computed tomography; Distant metastasis staging; Neoplasms; Positron emission tomography