| Abstract: | OBJECTIVE To evaluate the feasibility of 18F-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) in the staging of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).METHODS 105 patients with NSCLC had been examined by 18F-FDG PET before radiotherapy. The results of the 18F-FDG PET examination were compared with those of CT:RESULTS The staging was changed in 38 patients because of 18F-FDG PET findings, with PET resulting in upstaging in 31 patients and downstaging in seven patients. Because of distant metastasis detected by PET, 21 patients received palliative treatment. Six of the seven downstaged patients underwent radical surgery, among which the PET findings were concordant with the pathological findings in five patients. Distant metastasis detected by PET elevated the pre-PET stage: at stage 110.0% (2/20), stage Ⅱ 14.3% (3/21 ) and stage Ⅲ 25.0% (16/64), respectively.CONCLUSION 18F-FDG PET, by changing clinical staging in 36.2% (38/105)of NSCLC patients, has an impact on treatment strategy in NSCLC patients. |
