Nasopharyngeal carcinoma staging by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography

PURPOSE: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a high rate of neck lymph node and/or distant metastasis. We evaluated the value of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in staging NPC, especially in the detection of distant metastasis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 95 patients, including 85 with primary and 10 with recurrent, NPC were enrolled. Dual-phase FDG-PET was used, in addition to the conventional workup. Eighty-one patients without distant metastases underwent repeat studies 3-4 months after initial radical treatment. RESULTS: Of 14 patients with distant metastases, all had lesions detected by FDG-PET, and the conventional workup detected the metastases in only 4. Two patients had false-positive MRI findings for neck node metastasis, but the FDG-PET findings were accurate. Four patients without distant metastases on their initial workup were found to have new lesions on FDG-PET 3-4 months after initial treatment. Patients with advanced node disease had a significantly greater incidence of distant metastases on FDG-PET, especially for N3 disease. Of the 95 patients, the FDG-PET results for distant metastasis were true positive in 14 patients, false positive in 8, and true negative in 73. None of our patients had a false-negative result. For a patient base, the sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET for distant metastasis was 100% and 90.1% (95% confidence interval 81.5-95.6%), respectively, in this study. The accuracy was 91.6% (95% confidence interval 84.1-96.3%), the positive predictive value was 63.6 (95% confidence interval 40.7-82.8%), and the negative predictive value was 100%. CONCLUSION: FDG-PET stages N and M disease of NPC more accurately and sensitively than does the conventional workup. Patients with advanced node disease, particularly N3 disease, would benefit the most from FDG-PET.     

Positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) for the staging of low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

Background:Although PET has been shown to be highlysensitive in the primary staging of lymphoma, previous studies withsmall numbers of patients indicated that low-grade NHL may not always beadequately detected by PET. We undertook this study to determine factorsinfluencing the detection of lesions by PET in low-grade NHL and toevaluate the utility of PET in this indication. Patients and methods:Forty-two patients underwentconventional staging procedures (clinical examination,oto-rhino-laryngologic examination, computed tomography of the chest,abdomen and pelvis, gastroscopy and bone marrow biopsy as well aswhole-body non-attenuation corrected ¹⁸F-FDG-PET. Results:PET detected 40% more abnormal lymph nodeareas than conventional staging in follicular lymphoma but wasinappropriate for the staging of small lymphocytic lymphoma where itdetected less than 58% of abnormal lymph node areas. PET showedmore lesions than conventional staging for peripheral (34% morelymph node areas detected) and thoracic lymph node (39% more)areas but not for abdominal or pelvic lymph nodes (26% fewerareas detected). The sensitivity to detect bone marrow infiltration wasunacceptably low for PET. In contrast, PET was as effective as standardprocedures for the detection of other extranodal localizations, althougha few localizations were detected only by PET and a few others only byconventional procedures. Conclusions:PET may contribute to the management ofpatients with low-grade follicular NHL. For the other low-grade lymphomasubtypes, the role of PET is less evident. Further studies using PET toevaluate the results of treatment or to diagnose disease recurrence arewarranted in low-grade follicular NHL.     

Utility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the preoperative staging of squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx.

BACKGROUND: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has been reported to be superior to computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of head and neck cancers, but little is known about its usefulness in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We therefore compared FDG PET and CT/MRI in the preoperative staging of previously untreated oropharyngeal SCC. METHODS: Thirty-two consecutive patients with oropharyngeal SCC underwent FDG PET and CT/MRI before surgery. Each method was interpreted separately to assess primary tumor and cervical node status. Their sensitivity and specificity were compared relative to histopathologic analysis. RESULTS: Histopathology revealed metastases in 29 of 39 dissected neck sides and in 47 of 163 dissected cervical levels. FDG PET had higher sensitivities than CT/MRI for primary tumor detection (25/32 vs. 30/32, P=0.063) and for identification of cervical metastases on neck side (22/29 vs. 28/29, P<0.05) and level-by-level (37/47 vs. 45/47, P<0.05) bases. In contrast, the specificity of the two methods did not differ significantly (P>0.5). FDG PET correctly interpreted the false-negative results of CT/MRI in 6 of 7 primary tumors and 8 of 10 cervical levels. CONCLUSIONS: The improved preoperative staging of FDG PET may help in planning treatment, but its accuracy is insufficient to replace pathologic staging based on neck dissection.     

Evolving role of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the management of esophageal carcinoma

Positron emission tomography (PTE) and PET/CT imaging with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose are metabolic imaging modalities that depict tissues based on their level of glucose uptake. PET provides useful information in the primary staging of disease. PET performance in detecting locoregional nodal metastases is limited; however, it is the most accurate single noninvasive modality for detecting distant metastases. It is the imaging modality of choice for whole-body scanning in high-risk patients or patients who have clinically suspected recurrence, and is particularly helpful in determining which patients are the best candidates for surgical cure.     

Systematic review of the staging performance of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in esophageal cancer.

PURPOSE: Despite the increasing number of publications concerning (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for staging of esophageal cancer and the increasing availability of this novel diagnostic modality, its exact role in preoperative staging of these tumors is still unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding the diagnostic performance of FDG-PET in preoperative staging of patients with esophageal cancer, and to calculate summary estimates of its sensitivity and specificity. METHODS: The databases of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched for relevant studies. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each study. A meta-analysis of the reported sensitivity and specificity of each study was performed. RESULTS: Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies had several design deficiencies. Pooled sensitivity and specificity for the detection of locoregional metastases were 0.51 (95% CI, 0.34 to 0.69) and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.76 to 0.91), respectively. For distant metastases, pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.67 (95% CI, 0.58 to 0.76) and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.0), respectively. CONCLUSION: FDG-PET showed moderate sensitivity and specificity for the detection of locoregional metastases, and reasonable sensitivity and specificity in detection of distant lymphatic and hematogenous metastases.     

18F-FDGPET在食管癌诊断与治疗中的应用价值

早期诊断和准确分期是提高食管癌生存率的关键,传统的影像学检查对食管癌的诊断、分期、疗效评价及预后评估存在一定的局限性,作为生物影像,18F-FDGPET现已广泛应用于临床,现综述其在食管癌诊断与治疗中的应用价值.     

Positron emission tomography in the staging of esophageal cancer

Accurate staging of patients with esophageal cancer (EC) is essential for selection of appropriate treatment and to predict prognosis. In recent years, positron emission tomography using the positron emitting glucose analogue 18F- fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) has emerged as a particularly useful adjunct to anatomical imaging modalities as computed tomography (CT) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). In the initial staging of EC the additional value of FDG-PET is its ability to identify distant metastases (stage IV disease), excluding patients from unnecessary surgery. The combination of FDG-PET and endoscopic ultrasonography with fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has been suggested as the most effective strategy for preoperative EC staging.     

Determination of indication for sentinel lymph node biopsy in clinical node-negative breast cancer using preoperative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography fusion imaging

Objective: Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is indicated for axillary lymph nodemetastasis-negative cases (N0), but clarification of the indicationmay increase treatment efficiency. Fluorine-18-labeled 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucosepositron emission tomography (FDG-PET) may have a high positivepredictive value in diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis. Methods: Ninety-two breasts/axillae were analyzed retrospectively in90 patients (median age 54.6-year old, median primary tumor1.7 cm). FDG-PET/computed tomography was used to indicate SNBin N0 cases. Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) was performedin cases that were axillary lymph node metastasis-positive (PETN+) on FDG-PET/CT. Results: Seventy-four (80.4%) and 18 (19.6%) of the 92 axillae were diagnosedas metastasis-negative (PET N0) and PET N+, respectively, byFDG-PET/CT. SNB was performed in 51 of the 74 PET N0 axillae.ALND was performed in 23 PET N0 axillae (at the patients’request) and in all 18 PET N+ axillae. Of the 74 PET N0 axillae,14 were metastasis-positive (pN+) and 60 were pN0 pathologically,and of the 18 PET N+ axillae, 13 were pN+ and five were pN0.The sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET/CT for diagnosisof axillary metastasis were 48.1 and 92.3%, respectively, andthe positive and negative predictive values were 72.2 and 81.1%,respectively. Conclusion: The positive detection rate on FDG-PET/CT was insufficient fordetermining an indication of SNB. However, use of an appropriatecut-off for SUV_max (the positive rate was 90.9% with a cut-offof 2.0) and exclusion of surgically biopsied cases may achievea clinically applicable positive detection rate.     

18F-氟代脱氧葡萄糖正电子发射计算机体层显像对原发性肺癌术前纵隔淋巴结N分期的诊断价值

目的 探讨18F-氟代脱氧葡萄糖正电子发射计算机体层显像(18F-FDG PET/CT)对原发性肺癌术前纵隔淋巴结N分期的诊断价值.方法 收集经病理检查确诊的92例原发性肺癌患者的病历资料,所有患者术前均进行18F-FDG PET/CT和CT检查.以病理结果为金标准,比较18F-FDG PET/CT和CT诊断原发性肺癌...     

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) for staging and follow-up of marginal zone B-cell lymphoma

OBJECTIVE: According to recent reports, nodal marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) appears to be a distinctive lymphoma entity rather than a more advanced stage of extranodal MZL of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). We have therefore retrospectively evaluated all patients diagnosed with nodal or extranodal MZL who have been referred to our unit for imaging using (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 21 patients with a diagnosis of MZL upon referral for imaging with (18)F-FDG-PET were identified. Histological reassessment of biopsy specimens confirmed the diagnosis of extranodal MZL of MALT in 14 patients, while a diagnosis of nodal MZL was verified in 6 patients. Lymphoma cell proliferation was assessed immunohistochemically using a Ki-67 antibody. Whole-body (18)F-FDG-PET scans were performed on a GE advanced PET scanner 40 min after intravenous injection of 300-380 MBq (18)F-FDG. RESULTS: None of the patients with extranodal MZL showed focal tracer uptake within verified tumor sites. In contrast, 5 of the 6 patients with nodal MZL showed significant FDG uptake within the affected lymph nodes. These results did not simply reflect the different growth fractions of the two lymphoma entities since the proliferation indices of the two groups did not differ significantly. CONCLUSION:(18)F-FDG-PET visualizes nodal MZL in a high proportion of patients whereas FDG uptake is undetectable in extranodal MZL. Although limited by the small number of patients, this study suggests that imaging with (18)F-FDG-PET might play a potential role in the diagnostic workup of patients with nodal MZL involvement.     

Positron emission tomography using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose for the evaluation of residual Hodgkin's disease mediastinal masses

Given its obvious prognostic implications, the correct interpretation of the significance of any residual mediastinal mass following Hodgkin's disease (HD) treatment keeps maintaining its paramount importance. In this respect, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) is proving very effective for both active disease detection and relapse prediction. Twenty-nine consecutive HD patients, in whom computed tomography (CT) scan performed after therapy completion had documented a residual mediatinal mass of at least 2 cm, prospectively entered the study and underwent PET within 1 week from CT scan. With a median follow-up of 28 months from PET execution, no relapse was recorded among the 17 patients presenting with a negative PET. On the contrary, 9 of the 12 patients presenting with a positive PET relapsed/progressed within one year from PET execution. PET's negative and positive predictive values at 1 year were 100% and 75%, respectively. A negative PET seems to possibly exclude relapse in HD patient with a residual mediastinal mass. On the contrary, a positive PET result indicates a significantly higher risk of relapse. However, due to possible false positive results, a closer follow-up for all and a pathologic study in few selected patients is warranted.     

Preoperative lymph node staging of early-stage cervical carcinoma by [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence has documented the value of positron emission tomography (PET) in oncology, but only limited data are available comparing PET findings with the pathologic status of regional lymph nodes in patients with cervical carcinoma. The objective of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of PET in detecting lymph node metastasis in women with early-stage cervical carcinoma. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective review of all patients with Stage IA-IIA cervical carcinoma who underwent PET before surgery from 1999 to 2004. The status of the regional lymph nodes was correlated with lymph node pathology. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients were identified. Pelvic lymph node metastases were present in 32% of the patients and were detected by PET with a sensitivity of 53%, a specificity of 90%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 71%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 80%. Paraaortic lymph node disease was present in 9% of patients and was detected by PET with a sensitivity of 25%, a specificity 98%, a PPV of 50%, and an NPV of 93%. The mean size of the tumor deposits was larger in the PET-positive pelvic nodes (15.2 mm; range, 2-35 mm) than in the PET-negative lymph nodes (7.3 mm; range, 0.3-20 mm; P = 0.002). Computed tomography (CT) scans were obtained before surgery in 42 patients. The combined sensitivity of PET and CT in these patients was 75%. PET alone detected 9 (36%) of the positive lymph node groups, whereas CT alone detected 3 (12%) of the positive lymph node groups. Neither PET nor CT detected the positive lymph node groups in 8 patients (32%). CONCLUSIONS: Pathologic validation of PET imaging demonstrated a low sensitivity and a high specificity for PET in patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma.     

Positron emission tomography and sentinel lymph node dissection in breast cancer

Sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) is emerging as the preferred method of axillary staging for breast cancer patients. To further the use of noninvasive techniques in breast cancer, positron emission tomography (PET) scans have been considered as an alternative axillary staging modality. In order to compare the 2 modalities, we studied 15 invasive breast cancer patients who had undergone a preoperative PET scan before sentinel lymphadenectomy. PET scans were compared to axillary pathology results, which were defined as the greatest diameter of nodal metastases. Primary tumor sizes ranged from 0.5 cm to 5.0 cm (median,1.5 cm) and all were ductal in origin except for 1 invasive lobular and 1 mucinous carcinoma. Ten women had completion axillary dissections. Sentinel lymph node dissection was successful in all patients with completion dissections and no false-negative results. Five patients had sentinel node metastases, but PET scans identified only 1 of these patients, resulting in 4 false-negative PET scans. Missed metastases ranged in size from a micrometastatic focus identified only by immunohistochemistry to a nodal tumor measuring 11 mm in diameter. In addition, 1 woman with a PET-positive axilla was tumor free by SLND and remains free of axillary recurrence 29 months postoperatively. Two women had mediastinal uptake by PET scanning and were found to be tumor free after computerized tomography. The results of this preliminary study suggest that PET scanning using current techniques can be used as an adjunct to SLND rather than as an alternative staging technique.     

PET/CT确定进展期食管癌临床分期价值的探讨

目的:评价18-FDG PET/CT对进展期食管癌原发灶、转移淋巴结的敏感性、特异性、准确性以及原发灶指标与SUV的相关性,确定在食管癌分期中的价值.方法:27例食管癌患者行18-FDG PET/CT和CT检查,根据术后病理结果确定18-FDGPET/CT的诊断准确性.结果:18-FDGPET/CT探测到所有的原发肿瘤,敏感性、特异性和准确性均为100%.SUV与原发肿瘤位置(P=0.558)无明显相关性;与是否区域淋巴结转移有明显相关性(P=0.008),SUV与肿瘤病理分级的关系表现为分化越差SUV越大.SUV与肿瘤最大长径正相关,r=0.492,P=0.002.探测淋巴结转移,18-FDG PET/CT和CT的敏感性分剐为83.33%和69.05%(X2=2.363,P=0.124),特异性分别为93.69%和85.18%,X2=13.223,P=0.000;准确性分别为和92.78%和83.54%,X2=16.221,P=0.000.结论:18-FDG PET/CT在确定进展期食管癌原发肿瘤,诊断转移淋巴结敏感性、特异性和准确性均较CT高,有一定的临床价值.     

Positron emission tomography using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose in the management of nonsmall cell lung cancers in 2006]

Technological progress and numerous published studies allow to estimate the best place of the 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, a real functional metabolic imagery, in the clinical and therapeutic strategy of non small cell lung cancers.     

Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography and sentinel lymph node biopsy in staging primary cutaneous melanoma.

AIM: We report the value of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy and fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in relation to SLN biopsy in staging primary cutaneous melanoma. METHODS: Fifty-five patients with primary cutaneous melanoma >1.0 mm. Breslow thickness and no palpable regional lymph nodes underwent a FDG-PET scan before SLN biopsy. RESULTS: SLN's were retrieved in 53 patients. Melanoma metastases were found in the SLN of 13 patients. FDG-PET detected the lymph node metastases in two of the 13 patients with SLN metastases. In five patients FDG accumulation was recorded in a regional lymph node basin, while no tumour positive SLN was found. In eight patients FDG-PET showed increased activity at a site of possible distant metastasis. Metastatic disease was confirmed in one patient. No explanation for the positive FDG-PET result could be found in five cases. CONCLUSION: FDG-PET should not be considered in this group. SLN biopsy reveals regional metastases that are too small to be detected by FDG-PET. The prevalence of distant metastases is too small to justify routine use of FDG-PET.