Staging of lymph nodes with FDG dual-headed PET in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer

Accurate assessment of mediastinal lymph node involvement in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is necessary to select patients for direct surgical treatment. The aims of the present study were to assess the feasibility of staging NSCLC with FDG using a dual-headed positron emission tomographic (PET) camera and to compare this non-invasive technique with computed tomography (CT) and lymph node sampling, since both modalities are currently used for staging NSCLC. Thirty-three patients (29 men and 4 women, mean age 60 years) with newly diagnosed NSCLC were studied. In all patients, CT, FDG dual-headed PET and mediastinoscopy were performed within 4 weeks. The results of mediastinoscopy were used to select patients for thoracotomy. For both the assessment of individual lymph node involvement and the patient-based classification, the results of FDG dual-headed PET and CT were compared using the McNemar test. Thirty-one of 187 lymph nodes studied contained tumour metastases. FDG dual-headed PET showed a significantly higher sensitivity (P < 0.001) and specificity (P < 0.001) than CT. FDG dual-headed PET and CT correctly staged 27 and 20 patients, respectively. Due to the significantly higher negative predictive value of FDG dual-headed PET versus CT (P = 0.012), it was a better non-invasive diagnostic tool for selecting patients for surgery. In seven of eight patients, additional intrapulmonary sites of increased uptake were found, which revealed malignancy on histological examination. CT was false-negative in three of these patients. In one patients, increased FDG uptake was caused by an infection. In conclusion, it is possible to stage mediastinal lymph nodes in patients with NSCLC using a dual-headed PET camera. The high negative predictive value of FDG dual-headed PET suggests that mediastinoscopy may be omitted in patients with NSCLC.     

Non-small cell lung cancer: FDG PET for nodal staging in patients with stage I disease

PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in the evaluation of regional lymph nodes in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Imaging and clinical findings obtained during 5 years in 84 patients (mean age, 66 years) were reviewed. Patients had thoracic computed tomographic findings of stage I NSCLC, an FDG PET study, and histopathologic proof of lung cancer. At the time of diagnosis, disease stage was assigned on the basis of FDG PET results and was compared with the histopathologic stage to determine the accuracy of PET. RESULTS: When PET stage was compared with histopathologic stage, the disease in 72 (86%) patients was accurately staged with PET, understaged in two (2%), and overstaged in 10 (12%). The overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for PET of regional lymph nodal metastases were 82%, 86%, 47%, and 97%, respectively. CONCLUSION: FDG PET enables accurate staging of regional lymph node disease in patients with stage I NSCLC. A negative PET scan in these patients suggests that mediastinoscopy is unnecessary and that these patients can proceed directly to thoracotomy.     

18F-FLT与18F-FDG PET/CT对非小细胞肺癌淋巴结分期的比较

目的 比较3′-脱氧-3′-18F-FLT与18F-FDG PET/CT对NSCLC淋巴结分期的诊断价值,探讨肿瘤FLT和FDG摄取与细胞周期蛋白Cyclin D1表达的相关性.方法 选择手术治疗的NSCLC患者31例,男22例,女9例,年龄38～84岁.术前2周内行18F-FLT和18F-FDG PET/CT检查,术后行病理和转移淋巴结的免疫组织化学Cyclin D1检测.以病理诊断为“金标准”,评价18F-FLT和18F-FDG PET/CT显像对NSCLC的诊断价值.应用SPSS 12.0软件,计数资料行,检验,组间SUV.差异行方差分析,SUV.与Cyclin D1的表达行直线相关分析.结果 FLT和FDG PET/CT对NSCLC原发灶诊断的灵敏度分别为74.2％(23/31)和93.5％ (29/31),二者差异有统计学意义(x2=4.29,P =0.038).FLT PET/CT对NSCLC区域淋巴结诊断的灵敏度、特异性、准确性和阳性预测值分别为65％(39/60)、98％ (291/296)、93％(330/356)和85％(39/46),FDG PET/CT则分别为85％(51/60)、84％(249/296)、84％(300/356)和52％(51/98),二者差异有统计学意义(x2值分别为6.40、32.89、12.40、14.32和2.98,P均＜0.05).对于N分期,FLT PET/CT能使77.4％(24/31)的NSCLC患者分期正确,6.5％(2/31)的患者分期过高(假阳性),16.1％(5/31)的患者分期过低(假阴性);而FDG PET/CT相应数据则分别为77.4％(24/31)、16.1％(5/31)和6.5％(2/31).原发灶18F-FLT SUVmax与肿瘤组织Cyclin D1表达呈正相关(r=0.644,P＜0.01),FDG SUVmax则无相关性(r=0.293,P＞0.05).临床分期越晚,FLT SUVmax越高(F=12.2,P＜0.05),但FDG SUVmax则无此趋势(F=3.1,P＞0.05);二者在不同病理类型、分化程度之间差异无统计学意义(F=1.1、0.6、0.8和1.1,P均＞0.05).结论 与FDG PET/CT相比,FLT PET/CT对NSCLC淋巴结分期过低的患者多,而分期过高的患者少;对区域淋巴结诊断灵敏度降低,但有更高的特异性、准确性和阳性预测值.肿瘤FLT摄取与细胞周期蛋白Cyclin D1的表达有相关性.     

Evaluation of the "N" factor in nonsmall cell lung cancer. Correlation between computerized tomography and pathologic anatomy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of CT in identifying other morphological signs of metastatic lymph node involvement from non small cell bronchogenic carcinoma. This is done to improve N staging, a critical step in this disease. In fact, since diameter is the only criterion used to distinguish normal form abnormal lymph nodes, medistinal CT only has 80% diagnostic accuracy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 137 patients with known or suspected lung cancer were examined with Helical CT during early and late arterial phases (2 min delay, 3 mm thickness, 5 mm interslice gap) to depict node characteristics. Mediastinal lymph nodes, located according to the American Thoracic Society mapping, were considered normal when they were not visible or, if visible, less than 1 cm in diameter and of homogeneous density; lymph nodes over 1 cm in diameter and homogeneous density were considered reactive. A lymph node was considered metastatic when, independent of size, the following signs were found: central hypodensity; hyperdense thin/thick rim, with nodules within; hyperdense strands or diffuse hyperdensity in perinodal adipose tissue. The tumor site was also considered. RESULTS: Seventy patients were excluded because they were inoperable. Sixty-five of the remaining 67 patients were operated on, 1 underwent mediastinoscopy and another one mediastinoscopy followed by surgery. Based on the above CT signs, 46 patients were staged as N0, 61 as N1 and 15 as N2. In 44/46 N0 patients there was agreement between anatomical and pathologic findings; 3 of the 44 patients had lymph nodes over 1 cm in diameter and with homogeneous density. Micrometastases to mediastinal lymph nodes (N2) were found at histology in 2/46 patients (CT false negatives). In the 6 N1 and the 15 N2 patients there was complete agreement between anatomical and pathologic findings; in particular, 9 N2 patients had lymph nodes less than 1 cm in diameter with signs of metastasis and 4 had lymph nodes over 1 cm in diameter with signs of metastasis and 2 had lymph nodes either over or less than 1 cm. In all N2 patients the tumor histotype and the mediastinal location were also considered relative to the lesion site. DISCUSSION: A closer correlation was found with node morphology and density than with size. Indeed, CT sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy were 97, 100 and 97%, respectively, for the former versus 52, 93 and 77% for the latter. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant histotype (70.5%) in N2 patients. Metastases to node region 4 were predominant in right upper lobe carcinomas while node region 5 was predominant in left upper lobe lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Other criteria can be associated with size to improve CT diagnostic accuracy in N staging. Technique optimization plays a major role particularly in the late, thin slice, examination phase.     

Mediastinal lymph node involvement in non-small cell lung cancer: evaluation with 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT and comparison with CT.

In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), surgical resection offers the best chance of cure. The preoperative assessment of mediastinal lymph node involvement is crucial to selecting those patients for whom surgery is indicated. METHODS: To evaluate the possible clinical role of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin scintigraphy in the presurgical detection of mediastinal node metastases from NSCLC, we performed a prospective comparative study with CT on 83 patients (48 men, 35 women; age range, 38-81 y) with primary NSCLC (36 adenocarcinomas, 39 epidermoid squamous cell carcinomas, and 8 large cell anaplastic carcinomas). They underwent chest SPECT 20 min after (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin injection (740 MBq intravenously). The metastatic involvement of mediastinal nodes was assessed by histologic examination after mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy. Both chest CT and (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin scintigraphy were performed within 2 wk before the surgical staging. RESULTS: Metastatic mediastinal lymph nodes were found in 35 patients. (99m)Tc-Tetrofosmin imaging in assessing the mediastinal involvement yielded a sensitivity of 85.7%, a specificity of 89.6%, and an accuracy of 88.0%; CT results were 68.6%, 75.0%, and 72.3%, respectively. SPECT accuracy was significantly higher than CT accuracy (P < 0.05). However, precise anatomic localization of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin uptake in the mediastinum was not always present on SPECT images. (99m)Tc-Tetrofosmin SPECT precisely detected the presence or absence of lymph node metastases in 33 of the 36 patients with positive CT findings (enlarged mediastinal nodes with a short axis > or =1 cm), with an accuracy (91.7%) significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of CT (66.7%). CONCLUSION: (99m)Tc-Tetrofosmin SPECT is a useful presurgical noninvasive method to assess mediastinal lymph node involvement in NSCLC. In particular, it could play a clinical role in reducing the number of invasive staging surgical procedures in selected patients, especially in those with enlarged lymph nodes at CT. Fusing SPECT with CT images could further improve the interpretation of the scintigraphic data.     

Evaluation of N parameter in the staging of non-small cell lung cancer: role of CT and PET

PURPOSE: To determine diagnostic accuracy of CT and FDG-PET for the evaluation of N status in non-small cell lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight CT scans and PET scans of patients with non small-cell lung cancer were retrospectively reviewed. The data of the noninvasive techniques about N status were compared with the pathology findings obtained by standard lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: The CT results were concordant with surgery in 24 out of 38 cases (63%); in discordant cases CT understaged 8 patients and overstaged 6. The PET images were concordant with surgery in 29 cases (76%); of the remaining 9, PET understaged 5 cases and overstaged 4. Concerning the N parameter, CT had a sensitivity of 42.8% and a specificity of 83.3%, while PET had a sensitivity of 71.4% and a specificity of 91.6%. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience the diagnostic accuracy of PET is superior to that of CT, in agreement with the most important studies in the literature. On only one occasion did PET fail to differentiate between hilar uptake (N1) and the central primary tumour, an area in which CT provided more precise anatomic details. Nonetheless, we believe that PET should be performed in all patients affected by lung cancer, with the only exception of patients shown to be not suitable for surgery after CT examination.     

Overexpression of Glut1 in lymphoid follicles correlates with false-positive (18)F-FDG PET results in lung cancer staging.

The evaluation of mediastinal lymph node involvement in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is very important for the selection of surgical candidates. PET using (18)F-FDG has remarkably improved mediastinal staging in NSCLC. However, false (18)F-FDG PET results remain a problem. This study was undertaken to identify histologic and immunohistochemical differences between cases showing false and true results of mediastinal lymph node involvement assessed by (18)F-FDG PET. METHODS: Preoperative (18)F-FDG PET examinations were performed on 62 patients with NSCLC, and mediastinal lymph node sampling was done at thoracotomy or mediastinoscopy. In 111 lymph nodes, the size, glucose transporter 1 (Glut1) expression, grade of follicular hyperplasia, and involved proportion of tumor were examined and compared with the (18)F-FDG PET findings. RESULTS: Lymphoid follicular cells were strongly positive for the expression of Glut1. The grade of follicular hyperplasia in false-positive lymph nodes was higher than that in true-negative nodes (P < 0.001). The Glut1 expression of metastatic tumors was higher in true-positive nodes than that in false-negative nodes (P < 0.001). Metastatic squamous cell carcinomas showed stronger Glut1 expression than adenocarcinomas and no false-negative results on (18)F-FDG PET. On the other hand, metastatic adenocarcinomas exhibited focal and weak Glut1 expression with frequent false-negative results. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that (a). lymphoid follicular hyperplasia with Glut1 overexpression may have a causal relationship with high (18)F-FDG uptake of false-positive nodes and (b). the lower expression of Glut1 in metastatic tumors, such as adenocarcinomas, might be responsible for false-negative lymph nodes.     

Additional value of PET-CT in the staging of lung cancer: comparison with CT alone, PET alone and visual correlation of PET and CT

Integrated positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) is a new imaging modality offering anatomic and metabolic information. The purpose was to evaluate retrospectively the accuracy of integrated PET-CT in the staging of a suggestive lung lesion, comparing this with the accuracy of CT alone, PET alone and visually correlated PET-CT. Fifty patients undergoing integrated PET-CT for staging of a suggestive lung lesion were studied. Their tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) statuses were determined with CT, PET, visually correlated PET-CT and integrated PET-CT. These TNM stages were compared with the surgical TNM status. Integrated PET-CT was the most accurate imaging technique in the assessment of the TNM status. Integrated PET-CT predicted correctly the T status, N status, M status and TNM status in, respectively, 86%, 80%, 98%, 70% versus 68%, 66%,88%, 46% with CT, 46%, 70%, 96%, 30% with PET and 72%, 68%, 96%, 54% with visually correlated PET-CT. T status and N status were overstaged, respectively, in 8% and 16% with integrated PET-CT, in 20% and 28% with CT, in 16% and 20% with PET, in 12% and 20% with visually correlated PET-CT and understaged in 6% and 4% with integrated PET-CT, versus 12% and 6% with CT, 38% and 10% with PET and 12% with visually correlated PET-CT. Integrated PET-CT improves the staging of lung cancer through a better anatomic localization and characterization of lesions and is superior to CT alone and PET alone. If this technique is not available, visual correlation of PET and CT can be a valuable alternative.     

Computed tomography and mediastinoscopy in the assessment of resectability of lung cancer

In order to assess the potential of computed tomography (CT) of the mediastinum and mediastinoscopy in the staging of lung cancer, 125 patients were examined. Of these, 104 underwent thoracotomy, at which there was no evidence of mediastinal tumour involvement in 79 while 25 patients had signs of tumour spread. The sensitivity and specificity of CT were 87.0 per cent and 95.8 per cent, respectively, in the detection of direct tumour extension with a mediastinal mass. When lymph node enlargement was the sole finding, CT did not provide any differentiation between benign and malignant lymphadenopathy. The mediastinal involvement was inaccessible on mediastinoscopy in 18 cases (72%). Despite the surperior sensitivity of CT it was often difficult to determine whether direct tumour infiltration of mediastinal structures had occurred. It was concluded that CT is necessary for screening the entire mediastinum and, when it reveals no evidence of mediastinal tumour spread, mediastinoscopy will yield no further information. Mediastinoscopy will help to correctly identify accessible mediastinal lymph node involvement of the superior mediastinum and to define the mediastinal tumour invasion in doubtful cases.     

Prospective evaluation of MRI,C-acetate PET/CT and contrast-enhanced CT for staging of bladder cancer

Purpose

To prospectively evaluate the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ¹¹C-acetate positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and contrast-enhanced CT for bladder cancer staging, using whole-mount pathologic review of radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node specimens as the reference standard.

Materials and methods

The institutional review board approved this prospective study, which was compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Written informed consent was obtained from 16 patients with histologically confirmed bladder cancer who underwent MRI, ¹¹C-acetate PET/CT and contrast-enhanced CT before radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection. Before imaging 4/16 patients had received intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment, 6 had received systemic chemotherapy, 3 had received both and 3 had received neither. Measures of diagnostic performance including accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were estimated separately for each imaging modality.

Results

MRI correctly staged 56% of patients (9/16), overstaged 38% (6/16) and understaged 6% (1/16). CT correctly staged 50% of patients (8/16), overstaged 44% (7/16) and understaged 6% (1/16). In 9 patients, ¹¹C-acetate PET/CT showed uptake within the bladder wall; the uptake was true-positive in 7 patients and false-positive in 2 patients. Of the remaining 7 patients, 5 had true-negative and 2 had false-negative PET/CT results for cancer in the bladder wall. For all modalities, staging accuracy was reduced in patients with a history of prior intravesical and/or systemic chemotherapy.

Conclusion

In staging bladder cancer, MRI, ¹¹C-acetate PET/CT and CT displayed similar levels of accuracy. For all modalities, a history of intravesical and/or systemic chemotherapy affected staging accuracy.     

Bronchogenic carcinoma: analysis of staging in the mediastinum with CT by correlative lymph node mapping and sampling.

One hundred forty-three patients with bronchogenic carcinoma were studied prospectively with computed tomography (CT) to determine the accuracy of CT in the evaluation of mediastinal nodal metastases. Mediastinal lymph nodes were localized according to the lymph node mapping scheme of the American Thoracic Society and were considered abnormal if they exceeded 1 cm in short-axis diameter. All patients underwent surgical staging, which consisted of either mediastinoscopy alone or mediastinoscopy and thoracotomy. At the time of surgical staging, all accessible nodes were either removed or sampled. The sensitivity of CT for mediastinal nodes on a per-patient basis was 64%, with a specificity of 62%. The sensitivity of CT for individual nodal stations involved with tumor was only 44%. The presence of obstructive pneumonitis did not appreciably alter the sensitivity of CT, but the specificity was lower (43%). The likelihood of metastases increased with lymph node size; however, seven of 19 (37%) lymph nodes that measured 2-4 cm in short-axis diameter were hyperplastic and did not contain metastases. The relative insensitivity of CT makes formal nodal sampling at the time of mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy essential to detect lymph node metastases.     

Computed tomography and endosonography in the preoperative staging of rectal carcinoma

In 30 patients with rectal carcinoma the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) and endosonography (ES) was compared with the surgical specimen. Three cases were overstaged by ES and 4 cases were understaged by CT. The accuracy of ES was 84% and of CT only 76%. Both methods had advantages and limitations. An accurate staging of lymph node metastases was possible neither by ES nor by CT. - We advocate endosonography as the first imaging examination after proctoscopy. CT is recommended in endosonographic doubtful findings and in tight stenoses.     

Non-small cell lung cancer: dual-modality PET/CT in preoperative staging

PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of dual-modality positron emission tomographic (PET)-computed tomographic (CT) imaging, as compared with PET alone and CT alone, in the staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with NSCLC underwent staging with combined fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET and CT. CT, PET, and coregistered PET/CT images were evaluated separately by two different physicians for each imaging modality, and disease stage was determined by using TNM and American Joint Committee on Cancer staging systems. Histopathologic results served as the reference standard. The statistical significance of differences among CT, PET, and PET/CT was determined by using the McNemar test. RESULTS: Overall tumor stage was correctly classified as 0-IV with CT in 19 patients, with PET in 20 patients, and with PET/CT in 26 patients. PET/CT findings when compared with PET findings led to a treatment change for four patients (15%) and when compared with CT findings led to a treatment change for five patients (19%). Differences in the accuracy of overall tumor staging between PET/CT and CT (P =.008) and between PET/CT and PET (P =.031) were significant. Primary tumor stage was correctly determined in more patients with PET/CT than with either PET alone or CT alone. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of regional lymph node staging, respectively, were 89%, 94%, 89%, 94%, and 93%, with PET/CT; 89%, 89%, 80%, 94%, and 89% with PET; and 70%, 59%, 50%, 77%, and 63% with CT. Fourteen distant metastases were detected in four patients with CT, four were detected in two patients with PET, and 17 were detected in four patients with PET/CT. CONCLUSION: Use of dual-modality PET/CT significantly increases the number of patients with correctly staged NSCLC and thus has a positive effect on treatment.     

The mediastinum in non-small cell lung cancer: CT-surgical correlation

Computed tomography was used to evaluate the mediastinum preoperatively in 60 patients with non-small cell lung cancer; 49 of these patients had thorough surgical-pathologic determination of mediastinal node status. Mediastinal lymph nodes were located by CT using the node-mapping scheme suggested by the American Thoracic Society and were considered abnormal when larger than 100 mm2 in cross-sectional area. The sensitivity of CT was 95% in detecting malignant mediastinal adenopathy; however, specificity was only 64%. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the optimal size criterion for diagnosing malignant mediastinal adenopathy is 1.0-1.5 cm when the short axis of a node is measured. CT staging of the mediastinum in patients with non-small cell lung cancer is clinically useful; negative mediastinal CT makes mediastinoscopy unnecessary, whereas positive CT should lead to biopsy of the enlarged node.     

Preoperative staging of esophageal carcinoma with multidetector CT and virtual endoscopy

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), including virtual endoscopy (VE) for detection, precise localization, preoperative evaluation and staging of esophageal cancer (EC) by comparison with surgical and histopathological findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 2003 and April 2005, 44 patients with histologically proven EC underwent MDCT and VE. Among 44 patients, the findings were confirmed in 24 at surgery. The accuracy of three-dimensional MDCT for detection, localization, and staging of EC was determined, and compared with surgical finding and histopathology. RESULTS: The overall accuracy of three-dimensional multidetector row CT for detection of EC was 100% (24/24). MDCT staging was correct in 20 patients (83.3%). The T parameter was correctly assessed in 22 (91.7%) cases (understaged in 1 and overstaged in 1). The N parameter was correctly evaluated in 20 (83.4%) patients (understaged in 2 and overstaged in 2). The overall accuracy of VE for the morphologic classification of EC was 81.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional MDCT, along with VE is a promising method for preoperative evaluation and staging of EC. Although accuracy in N staging remains low in comparison to PET, it provides a larger amount of diagnostic and staging information.     

18F-FDG PET/CT对非小细胞肺癌淋巴结分期诊断价值的研究进展

非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）准确的淋巴结分期是确定患者治疗方案的重要因素。18F-FDG PET/CT作为一种同时包含功能代谢与解剖形态信息的高端影像学诊断方法,在NSCLC淋巴结分期（N分期）中呈现出较高的诊断准确率。大量研究已基本证实哪些是影响NSCLC纵隔淋巴结转移的危险因素,笔者主要就近年为提高NSCLC淋巴结分期准确性而探索出的新参数、新技术进行综述。     

Gastric adenocarcinoma: CT versus surgical staging

Seventy-five patients with gastric carcinoma underwent preoperative staging with computed tomography (CT). In 14 patients, CT failed to demonstrate lymphadenopathy despite the presence of malignant lymph nodes at surgery. In 13 patients, CT demonstrated enlarged nodes, but no malignant involvement was found at surgery. Although spread to the pancreas was correctly predicted in three patients with lack of fat plane between tumor and pancreas, five patients lacking a fat plane had no invasion, whereas eight patients with an intact fat plane had invasion. Thirty-five patients (47%) were incorrectly staged with CT:23 (31%) were understaged and 12 (16%) were overstaged. CT does not accurately display the true extent of disease in patients with gastric carcinoma and therefore should not be used routinely for staging.     

18F-FDG PET/CT显像在非小细胞肺癌术前分期中的价值

目的评价18F-脱氧葡萄糖(FDG)PET/CT显像在非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)分期中的价值.方法73例经病理检查证实的NSCLC患者行18F-FDG PET/CT显像.两诊断组盲法阅片,所得分期结果与病理检查和(或)随访结果比较、评分后进行统计学分析.结果在总体分期准确性上,18F-FDG PET/CT优于CT、18F-FDGPET(P均＜0.001)及视觉融合分期(P=0.001).25例患者获得T亚分期证实,在T亚分期准确性上,18F-FDG PET/CT优于CT、18F-FDG PET及视觉融合分期(P=0.002、0.001、0.008).29例患者获得N亚分期证实,在N亚分期准确性上,18F-FDG PET/CT优于CT(P=0.001),与18F-FDG PET及视觉融合分期相比没有明显差别(P=0.125、0.219),但18F-FDG PET/CT与18F-FDGPET和视觉融合相比分别在5例及4例患者中准确定位.在M亚分期上,18F-FDG PET/CT较CT、18F-FDGPET探测到更多远处转移灶,且为后两者无法定位的患者准确定位.结论18F-FDG PET/CT显像对NSCLC总体分期及T、N、M亚分期的准确性均有提高.     

Evaluation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy with endoscopic US-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of lymph nodes in the paratracheal, aortopulmonic, subcarinal, and posterior mediastinal regions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six consecutive patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy who did not have a primary gastrointestinal neoplasm were examined. In 29 patients, endoscopic US-guided FNAB of mediastinal lymphadenopathy was performed as a component of staging non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); in the remaining 57 patients, it was performed to obtain a primary diagnosis. Final diagnosis was based on clinical follow-up, cytologic, and/or surgical results. RESULTS: In 82 patients in whom a final diagnosis was available, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value of endoscopic US-guided FNAB in distinguishing benign from malignant mediastinal lymph nodes were 96%, 100%, 98%, 94%, and 100%, respectively. In those patients who underwent staging of NSCLC, endoscopic US-guided FNAB had superior mediastinal lymph node staging accuracy compared with endoscopic US alone (79%) and CT alone (79%) (P =.01). The results of endoscopic US-guided FNAB prompted a change to nonsurgical management in 66 (80%) of 82 patients who underwent the procedure. One minor complication, postprocedural fever that resolved with oral antibiotics, occurred (1%; 95% CI: 0%, 6%). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic US-guided FNAB is accurate and safe for biopsy of mediastinal lymph nodes to stage NSCLC, establish a primary diagnosis, or examine patients with prior inconclusive biopsy results.     

Improved radiologic staging of lung cancer with 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography and computed tomography registration

PURPOSE: To determine if volumetric nonlinear registration or registration of thoracic computed tomography (CT) and 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) datasets changes the detection of mediastinal and hilar nodal disease in patients undergoing staging for lung cancer and if it has any impact on radiologic lung cancer staging. METHOD: Computer-based image registration was performed on 45 clinical thoracic helical CT and FDG-PET scans of patients with lung cancer who were staged by mediastinoscopy and/or thoracotomy. Thoracic CT, FDG-PET, and registration datasets were each interpreted by 2 readers for the presence of metastatic nodal disease and were staged independently of each other. Results were compared with surgical pathologic findings. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty lymph node stations in the mediastinum and hila were evaluated each on CT, PET, and registration datasets. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, respectively, for detecting metastatic nodal disease for CT were 74%, 78%, 55%, 88%; for PET with CT side by side, 59% to 76%, 77% to 89%, 48% to 68%, and 84% to 91%; and for CT-PET registration, 71% to 76%, 89% to 96%, 70% to 86%, and 90% to 91%. Registration images were significantly more sensitive in detecting nodal disease over PET for 1 reader (P = 0.0156) and were more specific than PET (P = 0.0107 and 0.0017) in identifying the absence of mediastinal disease for both readers. Registration was significantly more accurate for staging when compared with PET for both readers (P = 0.002 and 0.035). CONCLUSION: Registration of CT and FDG-PET datasets significantly improved the specificity of detecting metastatic disease. In addition, registration improved the radiologic staging of lung cancer patients when compared with CT or FDG-PET alone.