title: FLT-PET/CT diagnosis of primary and metastatic nodal lesions of gastric cancer: comparison with FDG-PET/CT.
abstract: To examine the diagnostic performance of (18)F-fluorothymidine (FLT)-PET/CT of primary and metastatic nodal lesions of gastric cancer by comparing with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/CT.
  
  
  
  The enrolled study population comprised 17 patients with 17 newly diagnosed gastric cancers who underwent surgery of the primary lesion and regional nodes after both FDG- and FLT-PET/CT scans. Visual detectability of the primary gastric lesions was correlated with pathological factors using the Fisher exact or Mann-Whitney U test. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in detecting nodal lesions were compared between both PET/CT scans using the McNemar exact or χ (2) test.
  
  
  
  Fourteen of 17 (82.4%) primary cancers were visualized by both FDG- and FLT-PET/CT scans. Although FDG or FLT visibility was not significantly associated with tumor size (p = 0.16) or histological type (p = 1.00), the 3 nonvisible lesions were pathologically early (T1) cancers. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting nodal metastasis were 44.8% (13/29), 98.7% (164/166), and 90.8% (177/195) for FDG-PET/CT, and 31.0% (9/29), 100% (166/166), and 89.7% (175/195) for FLT-PET/CT, respectively. No significant difference was found between the two scans in sensitivity (p = 0.13), specificity (p = 0.48), or accuracy (p = 1.00).
  
  
  
  FLT-PET/CT may have the same diagnostic value as FDG-PET/CT for detection of primary and nodal lesions of gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kagoshima University, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan. toyo.nakajo@dolphin.ocn.ne.jp.|Department of Radiology, Nanpuh Hospital, 14-3 Nagata, Kagoshima, 892-8512, Japan. toyo.nakajo@dolphin.ocn.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Masatoyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nanpuh Hospital, 14-3 Nagata, Kagoshima, 892-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kajiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nanpuh Hospital, 14-3 Nagata, Kagoshima, 892-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Atushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kagoshima University, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan.
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jinguji
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nanpuh Hospital, 14-3 Nagata, Kagoshima, 892-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kagoshima University, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshiura
mesh_terms: D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; C002854:alovudine
keywords: FDG; FLT; Gastric cancer; Lymph node metastasis; PET/CT