@article{3115302,
    title = "Preliminary results on the role of PET/CT in initial staging, restaging,
and management of lung cancer",
    author = "Malamitsi, J. and Valotassiou, B. and Iliadis, K. and Kosmidis, P. and and Laspas, F. and Vasilaki, M. and Pipini, E. and Petounis, A. and Gogou, and L. and Pagou, M. and Dalianis, K. and Efthimiadou, R. and Andreou, J.",
    journal = "NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION
A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT",
    year = "2006",
    volume = "569",
    number = "2, SI",
    pages = "319-322",
    publisher = "ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV",
    doi = "10.1016/j.nima.2006.08.151",
    keywords = "lung cancer; NSCLC; SCLC; SPN; PET/CT; FDG",
    abstract = "Aim: To determine true-positive and true-negative rates of PET/CT
studies in the staging of lung cancer as compared with conventional
imaging (CT and bone scan and occasionally MRI) and the impact of PET/CT
on the treatment strategy in patients with lung cancer. Materials and
method: Twenty patients (21 studies) with known or suspected lung cancer
(14 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), three patients
with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), three patients with solitary
pulmonary nodule underwent initial staging (seven studies) or restaging
(14 studies) with combined FDG PET and CT scans on a PET/CT tomograph.
PET/CT images were evaluated separately by two nuclear medicine
physicians and two radiologists specialized on PET, CT, and MRI.
Histology results and a more than 6 months follow-up served as the
reference standards.
Results: Accurate diagnosis was achieved on 16 studies. Site-by-site
analysis gave the following results: 16 true-positive sites (seven on
histology, nine on > 6 months follow-up), six true-negative sites (two
on histology, four on > 6 months follow-up). On PET/CT, six patients
were correctly down-staged, three patients were correctly upstaged and
seven patients were diagnosed correctly as being on the same stage (2/7
with increase of extent of disease, 5/7 with the same extent of
disease). One patient was falsely upstaged and three patients were
falsely down-staged. On the basis of PET/CT results, change of
management was induced in six patients, while in 14 patients there was
no change induced. In five cases PET/CT was partially accurate: on
site-by-site analysis, four sites proved true positive (on histology),
one site false positive (on histology), and four sites false negative
(one on histology, three on > 6 months follow-up).
Conclusion: In our early experience, PET/CT contributed significantly to
correct staging and management of patients with lung cancer. (c) 2006
Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved."
}