title: Application of whole-body FDG-PET for cancer screening in a cohort of hospital employees.
abstract: Whole-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography with the glucose analog 2-[F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG-PET/CT) has been extensively used to screen for underlying malignancies in asymptomatic individuals. We were able to survey a cohort of hospital employees using FDG-PET/CT and to report the results herein.A total of 116 hospital employees older than 55 years old were offered whole-body FDG-PET in our hospital. Ninety-seven employees (83.6%) completed the assessment from February 2014 to August 2014 in our PET center. The final confirmation of cancer was based on pathologic examination and follow-up after more than 1 year.Among the 97 participants, 92 were asymptomatic and 5 presented with previously diagnosed cancers. Six of the 92 asymptomatic participants (6.6%) with significant nodular lesions were referred for histological or cytological evaluation of the possibility of malignancy, and 1 case was considered clinically important and required surgical resection. The cancer discovery rate was 3.3% (3/92) with positive predictive value of 50% (3/6). In the 5 participants with previously identified cancers, no recurrence or metastasis was detected.The offer of whole-body FDG-PET for cancer screening was welcomed with enthusiasm by most of the hospital employees. PET/CT combines the merits of PET and CT and can be administered to and provide benefits to a select group of hospital employees.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung National Yang-Ming University, School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chun-Peng
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jin-Shiung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Yu-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Hung-Pin
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Nan-Jing
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18