title: Advantages of Combined PET-CT in Mediastinal Staging in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Precise mediastinal lymph node staging in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) provides important prognostic information and it is obligatory in treatment strategy planning. 18Fluoro-deoxy-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography - computerized tomography (PET-CT) based on detection of metabolic activity showed superiority in preoperative staging of lung carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total number of 26 patients diagnosed with NSCLC were included in this retrospective, cross-sectional study. Status of mediastinal lymph nodes was assessed in all patients comparing contrast enhanced CT and 18F-FDG PET-CT findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found in our study that 50% of patients had different N stage on contrast enhanced CT comparing to 18F-FDG PET-CT findings. Among the total number of patients which had different nodal status on PET-CT comparing to CT alone, we found in our study that 54% of patients had change in further therapy protocol after PET-CT change of nodal stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined PET-CT which offers advantages of both modalities is excellent method for nodal (N) staging, so it is recommended in initial staging in patients with NSCLC. PET-CT used preopratively for mediastinal nodal staging has significant impact on further therapy planning and also has an consequential impact on health system savings.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Nuclear Medicine, University Clinical Centre, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Nermina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beslic
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Nuclear Medicine, University Clinical Centre, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Amera
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadija
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Nuclear Medicine, University Clinical Centre, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Milardovic
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Oncology, University Clinical Centre, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Timur
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ceric
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Nuclear Medicine, University Clinical Centre, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Sejla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ceric
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Radiation Safety, University Clinical Centre, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beganovic
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Radiology, University Clinical Centre, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Spomenka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kristic
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, University in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Semra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cavaljuga
keywords: CT; NSCLC; PET-CT; mediastinal lymph nodes