Transesophageal endoscopic ultrasound/fine-needle aspiration diagnosis of a malignant adrenal gland in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer and a negative CT scan

Adrenal metastasis is only seen on CT scan is less than 5% of patients with otherwise resectable NSCLS, but this diagnosis has a major impact on treatment and prognosis. We present a case of a patient with NSCLC and an adrenal metastasis, which was diagnosed by EUS/FNA of an enlarged adrenal gland, who had false-negative CT scan for adrenal metastasis. PET was not performed. Prospective studies are needed to assess the incremental yield of EUS/FNA over upper abdominal CT scan and PET for detecting left adrenal metastasis in patients with suspected or proven otherwise respectable NSCLC.     

Can Positron Emission Tomography Be Used as a Staging Tool for Small-Cell Lung Cancer?

PURPOSE: Positron emission tomography (PET) is widely used for the staging evaluation of non-small-cell lung cancer; however, its use in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains investigational. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We did a retrospective study of 137 patients to evaluate the role of PET in SCLC. Fifty-one of 137 patients had computed tomography (CT) and PET scans during initial evaluation of a lung mass. RESULTS: All 51 patients had PET-positive results for malignancy (100% sensitivity). In 40 of 51 cases (78%), the PET staging correlated with that on CT. Two of 51 patients (4%) had disease that was accurately upstaged by PET. Positron emission tomography accurately downstaged disease in 6 of 51 patients (12%). Positron emission tomography detected additional sites of disease in 13 of 42 patients (32%). Of the 13 additional sites of disease, PET detected supraclavicular nodes in 4 of 13 patients (30%) and bone lesions in 4 of 13 patients (30%). The sensitivity to detect brain lesions was 5 of 11 patients (45%) in this series. In this series, the PET results from 8 of 51 patients (16%) resulted in a change in disease management. Because of PET results, 6 of 51 patients (12%) who otherwise would not have been treated, were treated with radiation. CONCLUSION: Positron emission tomography is potentially useful for accurate initial staging of SCLC and can ensure that a patient's disease is not overstaged by CT scan, which might result in denied potentially curative treatment for limited-stage SCLC. It can identify the occult adrenal metastasis and metastasis to supraclavicular lymph nodes that are missed by CT; however, brain lesions are difficult to assess by PET.     

Dysgenetic hypoplastic kidney simulating metastatic lung carcinoma

We describe a 57-year-old male with prior history of an absent right kidney and kidney transplant who was found to have lung cancer. Integrated positron emission tomography (PET) and computerized tomography (CT) scan was done for staging and showed uptake in the right upper lung primary and right renal fossae region which was suggestive of metastatic disease. An excisional biopsy of the right renal fossae mass showed that it was a hypoplastic kidney simulating a metastatic focus on PET scan. The patient eventually underwent a left upper lobectomy with a final pathological stage of T2N0M0. Positive PET scan areas should be biopsied to confirm the presence of metastatic disease before excluding patients from surgical treatment.     

The role of PET scan in diagnosis, staging, and management of non-small cell lung cancer

Positron emission tomography (PET) is now an important cancer imaging tool, both for diagnosis and staging, as well as offering prognostic information based on response. This report attempts to comprehensively review the value of PET in the locoregional and distant staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), illustrate the potential effects on patient management, and give a short overview of newer applications. PET sets the gold standard in the evaluation of an indeterminate solitary pulmonary nodule or mass, where PET has proven to be significantly more accurate than computed tomography (CT) in the distinction between benign and malignant lesions. In the evaluation of metastatic spread to locoregional lymph nodes, PET is significantly more accurate than CT, so that invasive surgical staging may be omitted in many patients with negative mediastinal PET images. In patients with positive mediastinal PET images, invasive surgical staging remains mandatory because of the possibility of false-positive findings due to inflammatory nodes or granulomatous disorders. In the search for metastatic spread, PET is a useful adjunct to conventional imaging. This may be due to the finding of unexpected metastatic lesions or due to exclusion of malignancy in lesions that are equivocal on standard imaging. However, at this time, PET does not replace conventional imaging. Large-scale randomized studies are currently examining whether PET staging will actually improve the appearance of lung cancer outcome.     

Randomized controlled trial of the role of positron emission tomography in the management of stage I and II non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Positron emission tomography (PET) is a costly new technology with potential to improve preoperative evaluation for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There is increasing pressure for PET to be included in standard diagnostic work-up before decisions about surgical management of NSCLC. The resource implications of its widespread use in staging NSCLC are significant. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate the impact of PET on clinical management and surgical outcomes for patients with stage I-II NSCLC. The primary hypothesis was that PET would reduce the proportion of patients with stage I-II NSCLC who underwent thoracotomy by at least 10% through identification of patients with inoperable disease. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-four patients with stage I-II NSCLC were recruited and randomly assigned; 92% had stage I disease. Following exclusion of one ineligible patient, 92 patients were assigned to no PET and 91 to PET. Compared with conventional staging, PET upstaged 22 patients, confirmed staging in 61 and staged two patients as benign. Stage IV disease was rarely detected (two patients). PET led to further investigation or a change in clinical management in 13% of patients and provided information that could have affected management in a further 13% of patients. There was no significant difference between the trial arms in the number of thoracotomies avoided (P =.2). CONCLUSION: For patients who are carefully and appropriately staged as having stage I-II disease, PET provides potential for more appropriate stage-specific therapy but may not lead to a significant reduction in the number of thoracotomies avoided.     

Value of 18F-FDG PET in Clinical Staging of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

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.     

18F-FDG PET显像在非小细胞肺癌临床分期中的价值

目的 探讨^18F-脱氧葡萄糖-正电子发射体层显像(^18F-FDG PET)在非小细胞肺癌(NscLC)临床分期中的价值。方法 105例NSCLC患者于放射治疗前行^18F-FDG PET检查,进行PET分期,并将PET分期和CT分期结果进行比较分析。结果 ^18F-FDG PET扫描使38例NSCLC患者分期改变,其中分期升级31例,分期降级7例。21例分期升级者PET检查发现了远处转移灶,其治疗方案由根治性治疗改为姑息性治疗;6例分期降级者进行了根治性手术治疗,其中5例PET分期与病理分期一致。PET发现远处转移灶的几率随PET扫描前分期的升级而上升,其中Ⅰ期10．0％(2／20),Ⅱ期14．3％(3／21),Ⅲ期25．0％(16／64)。结论 ^18F-FDG PET显像改变了36．2％(38／105)NSCLC患者的临床分期,影响了其治疗策略。^18F-FDG PET显像对NSCLC患者的临床分期有重要的参考价值。     

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in an elderly patient--a case of squamous cell carcinoma successfully treated with chemotherapy using vinorelbine

We report an elderly patient with squamous cell carcinoma who was successfully treated with chemotherapy using vinorelbine. A 76-year-old man was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a nodular shadow in the left lung. Chest CT scam showed a 3-cm tumor shadow in left S9 and a 1-cm small nodule in right S2. Transbronchial lung biopsy yielded a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. The clinical stage was IV (cT2N2M1). The patient first underwent chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin (CDDP) 80 mg/m2 on day 1 and vinorelbine (VNB) 20 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15, which generated tumor shrinkage of 48% as well as transient elevation of grade 1 in serum creatinine. The 2 cycles of chemotherapy using vinorelbine only (VNB 20 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 15) produced a tumor reduction of 70% with grade-1 decrease of granulocytes. The low grade of toxicity enabled us to treat the patient in our outpatient office for the second cycle of the regimen. This case suggests that chemotherapy using low-dose vinorelbine might be suitable to treat elderly patients with NSCLC in outpatient settings.     

PET/CT对非小细胞肺癌临床分期及精确放疗计划的影响

目的 观察PET／CT对非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）临床分期和靶区勾画的作用,探讨PET／CT对其精确放疗计划的影响。方法 对拟行根治性放疗或手术治疗的58例确诊的NSCLC患者进行PET／CT检查。参照1997年WHO肺癌分期标准,判定PET／CT对NSCLC临床分期的影响,再分别以CT图像、PET／CT融合图像勾画大体靶区（GTV）,以相同参数制定三维适形放疗（3D-CRT）计划。选择GTV体积（V GTV）、受照量≥20Gy的肺占全肺体积的比例（V20）、平均全肺受照剂量（MLD）、肿瘤控制概率（TCP）、正常组织并发症概率（NTCP）、脊髓受照剂量（Ds）等指标进行统计学对比研究,评价两个计划的优劣,分析PET／CT对NSCLC精确放疗计划的影响。结果 PET／CT使21例（36．2％）的临床分期发生改变,其中分期升高者14例,下降者7例,使16例（27．6％）的治疗计划因而发生改变,32例手术患者中,术后病理结果与PET／CT分期一致者29例,假阴性1例,假阳性2例;PET／CT分期的敏感性为96．9％,准确性为90．6％。由PET／CT与由CT制定的放疗计划的VGTV、V20和MLD之间的差异均有统计学意义（P均〈0．01）,前者小于后者,而Ds、TCP、NTCP（左肺、右肺、皮肤、脊髓）的差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论 PET／CT对NSCLCS临床分期与术后病理分期的符合率高。应用PET／CT勾画靶区,在伴有肺不张和阻塞性肺炎时可明显减小GTV,可更好地保护周围正常肺组织;PET／CT检测纵隔淋巴结敏感性较CT高,可避免靶区遗漏。PET／CT可明显减小V20和MLD,从而有效地减少放射性肺炎的发生。PET／CT可在保证Ds、TCP和NTCP符合临床要求的前提下,更精确地确定NSCLC放疗靶区和制定放疗计划。     

PET scanning in lung cancer: current status and future directions

Positron emission tomography (PET) represents a dramatic advance in the imaging of lung cancer. It is valuable for the diagnosis, staging, prognosis, and restaging of disease, and is most useful in patients considered for potentially curative therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this work the current status and potential future applications of PET scanning in lung cancer are discussed. The relevant literature is also discussed, with an emphasis on studies with clinical applicability. Most of these studies involved the use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Numerous studies of the use of PET to assess undiagnosed pulmonary nodules have reported significant improvements in accurate diagnosis or exclusion of malignancy compared to conventional structural imaging alone. All of these studies, including metaanalysis, have shown that PET is more accurate than CT-based structural imaging in staging the mediastinum in surgical candidates. PET may have value in radiotherapy planning, and PET-based staging more accurately predicts survival in radiotherapy-treated patients than conventional staging. The rate of unsuspected distant metastasis detection in stage III disease exceeds 20%. PET also facilitates an accurate assessment of response in patients treated with radical chemoradiation or neoadjuvant therapy prior to surgery. PET has rapidly become an indispensable part of the evaluation of patients with potentially curable lung cancer; however, more work is required to define its role.     

Preoperative evaluation of adrenal lesions based on imaging studies and laparoscopic adrenalectomy in patients with otherwise operable lung cancer

PURPOSE: An unsuspected adrenal mass (AM) could be discovered in patients with operable non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), but it is difficult to determine the nature of AM. The purpose of the study is to answer the question as to which decision should be made when assessing AM in patients with NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1997 to 2005, 40 patients (31 male; mean age: 63 years) were identified to have both NSCLC and AM. We tried to determine the nature of AM based on imaging studies with or without laparoscopic adrenalectomy. When AM was considered benign on CT or PET-CT, surgical resection of NSCLC was performed (group 1, n=25). When AM was considered indeterminate on CT or PET-CT, we performed MRI to determine the operability. In eight patients, surgical resection of NSCLC was performed, because AM was considered benign on MRI (group 2). In seven patients, adrenalectomy was performed to confirm AM pathologically, because all imaging studies were indeterminate (group 3). RESULTS: Follow-up was complete for all patients with a mean duration of 33.1 months (3-104.5). In group 1, no patients showed adrenal metastases, except one who died of adrenal metastasis. In group 2, three patients revealed that they had had adrenal metastases when staging and two died of adrenal metastasis. In group 3, one patient had an adrenal metastasis and the others had benign lesions. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that when AM is considered benign on CT or PET-CT, surgical resection of NSCLC is indicated. However, when AM is indeterminate on CT or PET-CT, histopathologic confirmation is needed to determine the nature of AM.     

Significance of Brain Imaging for Staging in Patients With Clinical Stage T1-2 N0 Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer on Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography

BackgroundRoutine positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has been recommended even for clinical stage I non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In spite of the progress in the screening procedure, and revisions to TNM classification, there is no evidence to support brain imaging screening of patients assessed with the current staging protocol including PET/CT.Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively investigated the frequency of extrathoracic metastasis in 466 consecutive patients with clinical stage T1-2 N0 NSCLC with the complete staging assessment comprised of thin-section CT, PET/CT, and brain contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging between 2008 and 2016. All patients were reclassified according to the eighth edition of the tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) classification.ResultsAmong all patients, 70% of the tumors were pure solid and 30% had part-solid ground-glass opacity on thin-section CT, and 388 (83%) and 78 (17%) were classified into clinical stages T1 and T2, respectively. Eight patients (1.7%) had extrathoracic metastasis, including 3 (0.6%) with brain metastasis, and all showed pure-solid tumors. The frequency of extrathoracic and brain metastasis was 1.0% and 0.5% in 388 T1 patients, and 5.0% and 3.0% in 78 T2 patients. Although brain metastases were detected in 2 of 7 patients (29%) with PET/CT detectable extrathoracic metastases and 1 of 459 patients (0.2%) without PET/CT detectable extrathoracic metastasis, there were no neurologically asymptomatic brain metastases in patients with early-stage NSCLC confirmed by PET/CT.ConclusionRoutine screening of brain imaging is unnecessary in patients with early-stage NSCLC, assessed with the current staging protocol including PET/CT.     

Imaging with F‐18 FDG PET is superior to Tl‐201 SPECT in the staging of non‐small cell lung cancer for radical radiation therapy*

Thallium‐201 (Tl‐201) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is funded for evaluation of malignancy in Australia and may have utility for staging of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) if CT results are equivocal. Fluorine‐18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F‐18 FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is superior to CT for staging NSCLC but is more expensive and less widely available than Tl‐201 SPECT. Therefore, these techniques were prospectively compared in 27 radical radiation therapy candidates. Patients were allocated a conventional, PET and Tl‐201 stage. Tumour to background ratios (TBR) were recorded for the primary on both techniques. Metastatic disease was confirmed by surgical pathology, serial imaging or clinical follow up. Tumour to background ratios were consistently higher for FDG PET than Tl‐201 SPECT (P < 0.0001). Positron emission tomography detected all known primary tumours but Tl‐201 failed to image four primary tumours (15%). In 10 of 18 cases of discordance between PET and Tl‐201 SPECT regarding stage, corroboration was available from pathology or disease progression. Positron emission tomography was shown to have a 100% positive predictive value, including all three patients with PET‐detected distant metastases (P = 0.002). Results indicate that PET is superior to Tl‐201 SPECT scanning in the staging of NSCLC for radical radiation therapy, and that the low sensitivity for detection of local and metastatic disease is likely to limit the clinical impact and cost‐effectiveness of this technique despite its lower cost.     

The role of positron emission tomography in evaluating mediastinal lymph node metastases in non-small-cell lung cancer

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a modality that differentiates malignant from benign processes based upon metabolism rather than anatomy. A number of studies have confirmed improved accuracy of PET over computed tomography (CT), but until a few recent studies, most had failed to include satisfactory histologic confirmation. The objective of this study was to compare PET and CT to histologic staging of the mediastinum in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Histologic examination of mediastinal lymph nodes (MLNs) was performed on 40 patients with NSCLC at mediastinoscopy and/or at surgical resection. PET scans were interpreted by one of two nuclear medicine physicians, blinded to histology, using CT scans for anatomic localization. CT scans were independently evaluated for mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of PET were 78% (31 of 40), 67% (four of six), and 79% (27 of 34), respectively. The overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of CT were 68% (27 of 40), 50% (three of six), and 71% (24 of 34), respectively. PET was superior to CT at correctly identifying mediastinal nodal metastases; however, both modalities were inferior to the gold standard of surgical staging. PET is more accurate than CT in staging the mediastinum of patients with NSCLC. PET failed to identify lymph node metastasis in 33% of patients with histologically proven MLN involvement, and false positives were present in 15%. At present, mediastinoscopy should remain the standard of care for preoperative mediastinal staging for NSCLC.     

Prospective evaluation of unilateral adrenal masses in patients with operable non-small-cell lung cancer.

Although adrenal metastases are frequently noted with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at autopsy, their incidence in patients with operable NSCLC is unclear. We prospectively assessed consecutive patients with otherwise operable NSCLC for the incidence and histology of unilateral adrenal masses. Assessment included blood chemistries, lung function tests, bronchoscopy, chest x-ray, bone scan, and computed tomography (CT) of the head, chest, and upper abdomen. Of 246 patients with otherwise operable NSCLC, 10 (4.1%) had a unilateral adrenal mass. Unilateral adrenal masses were needle-aspirated under CT control. If cytology was nondiagnostic, adrenalectomy was performed. Four (40%) of 10 patients had adrenal metastases proven by needle aspiration. Of the six (60%) patients with benign unilateral adrenal masses, one was demonstrated by needle aspiration. In the other five patients, a nondiagnostic needle aspiration led to adrenalectomy, which yielded two adenomas, two hyperplastic nodules, and one hemorrhagic cyst. There was no significant difference between the patients with benign and metastatic unilateral adrenal masses with respect to patient age or stage and size of adrenal mass. Patients with benign unilateral adrenal masses underwent curative resection of their NSCLC and had significantly prolonged survival compared with patients with metastatic unilateral adrenal masses treated with chemotherapy (P = .037). Median survival of patients with benign and metastatic unilateral adrenal masses was greater than 30 months and 9 months, respectively. In conclusion, the presence of unilateral adrenal masses in patients with otherwise operable NSCLC should not preclude thoracotomy without pathologic proof of metastatic disease.     

Results of a surgical resection for patients with stage IV non--small-cell lung cancer

PurposeThis study retrospectively investigated the clinical significance of surgical treatment for stage IV non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).SubjectsThere were 36 patients who underwent surgical resection for stage IV NSCLC between 1999 and 2008.ResultsThe patients included 22 males and 14 females. All patients had either synchronous distant metastasis or pleural dissemination. The mean age of the patients was 65.8 years (range, 18 to 90 years). The histological types included 29 adenocarcinomas, 5 squamous-cell carcinomas and 2 large-cell carcinomas. The organs of metastasis were bone in 5 patients, brain in 4, adrenal gland in 4, axillary lymph nodes in 3, liver in 2, and 1 patient had a contralateral pulmonary metastasis. The number of metastases was one site in 13, two sites in 3, three sites in 1, and five sites in 2 patients. The patients with bone metastasis were treated with radiation, and the patients with brain metastasis underwent stereotaxic radiosurgery. The patients with either adrenal metastasis, axillary lymph node metastasis, or contralateral lung metastasis underwent surgical resection. Among the patients with distant metastasis, the 5-year survival rate was 30.1 %. There were 17 patients with pleural dissemination. The 5-year survival rate in these patients was 25.3%. The overall 5-year survival rate after surgery in the patients with stage IV disease was 26.8%.ConclusionSelected patients who can undergo surgical resection for the primary tumor and effective local therapy for metastatic lesions still have a chance to obtain long-term survival. Surgical treatment for NSCLC with oligometastatic disease can be considered as one arm of multidisciplinary treatment.     

Value of ^18F-FDG PET in Clinical Staging of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

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.     

Additional value of whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the detection of distant metastases of non-small-cell lung cancer

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the additional value of whole-body positron emission tomography (WB-PET) in the distant staging of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One hundred forty-four patients with NSCLC in whom conventional staging (CS) was negative or equivocal for metastases, and who underwent WB-PET as part of their initial work-up, were retrospectively analyzed. Conventional staging consisted of thoracic computed tomography (CT), upper abdominal ultrasound and/or CT, and bone scintigraphy or brain CT on indication. Final M stage was based on histology, additional imaging, or follow-up of = 18 months. An additional lesion suspect for metastasis was found on WB-PET in 11 patients. This was true positive in 7 (3 bone, 1 retroperitoneal lymph nodes, 1 lung, and 2 asymptomatic coexisting colorectal cancer) and false positive in 4 patients (3 bowel, 1 breast). Twenty-four lesions in 21 patients remained equivocal after CS. Whole- body PET correctly characterized 20 lesions in 18 patients as true positive (n = 1) or true negative (n = 19). Whole-body PET was false positive in one patient (adrenal adenoma) and false negative in 2 patients (2 bone, 1 lung lesion). Despite negative results of modern CS and WB-PET, 16 of 86 patients (19%) who underwent a curative resection, experienced a systemic relapse. After thorough modern CS, WB-PET correctly detected additional distant malignant lesions in only 5% of the patients, while the combined staging strategy probably still misses micrometastatic disease in one fifth of the patients. The most important contribution of WB-PET was its ability to exclude malignancy in the majority of distant lesions with equivocal CS.     

Negative predictive value of positron emission tomography and computed tomography for stage T1-2N0 non-small-cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

BackgroundNodal staging of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is crucial in evaluation of prognosis and determination of therapeutic strategy. This study aimed to determine the negative predictive value (NPV) of combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) in patients with stage I (T1-2N0) NSCLC and to investigate the possible risk factors for occult nodal disease.MethodsStudies investigating the performance of PET in conjunction with CT in the nodal staging of stage I NSCLC were identified in the MEDLINE database. The initiative of standards for reporting of diagnostic accuracy (STARD) was used to ensure study quality. Pathologic assessments through mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy were required as the reference standard for evaluation of PET-CT accuracy. Stata-based meta-analysis was applied to calculate the individual and pooled NPVs.ResultsTen studies with a total of 1122 patients with stage I (T1-2N0) NSCLC were eligible for analysis. The NPVs of combined PET and CT for mediastinal metastases were 0.94 in T1 disease and 0.89 in T2 disease. Including both T1 disease and T2 disease, the NPVs were 0.93 for mediastinal metastases and 0.87 for overall nodal metastases. Adenocarcinoma histology type (risk ratio [RR], 2.72) and high fluorine-18 (¹⁸F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the primary lesion were associated with greater risk of occult nodal metastases.ConclusionsAlthough overall occult nodal metastases in clinical stage T1-2N0 NSCLC is not infrequent, combined PET and CT provide a favorable NPV for mediastinal metastases in T1N0 NSCLC, suggesting a low yield from routine invasive staging procedures for this subgroup of patients.     

F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography staging in radical radiotherapy candidates with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma: powerful correlation with survival and high impact on treatment

BACKGROUND: Successful treatment of nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) with radical radiotherapy (RT) requires accurate delineation of tumor extent. Conventional computed tomography-based noninvasive staging often estimates intrathoracic thoracic tumor extent incorrectly and fails to detect distant metastasis. High sensitivity and specificity are reported for F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) staging in potentially resectable NSCLC. The authors investigated FDG-PET staging in radical RT candidates with unresectable NSCLC. METHODS: The authors prospectively studied 153 consecutive patients with unresectable NSCLC who were candidates for radical RT after conventional staging and had PET scans. Patients were allocated both "before PET" and "after PET" stages. Subsequent management was recorded. Survival analysis was used to compare validity of pre-PET and post-PET staging. RESULTS: After PET, 107 patients (70%) actually received radical therapies (radical RT with or without concurrent chemotherapy, n = 102; radical surgery, n = 5); 46 patients (30%) received palliative treatment because of PET-detected distant metastasis (n = 28; 18%) or extensive locoregional disease (n = 18; 12%). Palliative therapies were RT (n = 33), chemotherapy (n = 12), or supportive care (n = 1). All five surgically treated patients underwent potentially curative resections after downstaging by PET. For radically treated patients, post-PET stage (P = 0.0041) but not pre-PET stage (P = 0.19) was strongly associated with survival. Radically treated patients survived longer than those treated palliatively (P = 0.02; 1-year survival, 69% and 44%, respectively; 2-year survival, 44% radical; no palliative patients had 2-yr follow-up). CONCLUSIONS: Positron emission tomography-assisted staging detected unsuspected metastasis in 20%, strongly influenced choice of treatment strategy, frequently impacted RT planning, and was a powerful predictor of survival. Potential impact of FDG-PET is even greater in radical RT candidates with NSCLC than in surgical candidates.