TITLE: Detection of extrathoracic metastases by positron emission tomography in lung cancer

REF: Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 66, 886-892 (1998). http://ats.ctsnetjournals.org/cgi/c...stract/66/3/886

STUDY TYPE: prospective trial

PATIENTS: 100 patients with non-small cell lung cancer qualifying for surgery based on conventional staging without the use of FDG PET. These 100 patients underwent FDG PET imaging to clarify the stage of the cancer. There were 94 patients with stage IIIa or less and 6 with suspected N3 disease.

FINDINGS: Of the 94 patients with stage IIIa or less disease (based on conventional staging), PET detected unexpected extrathoracic metastatic disease in 13 (14%). In addition, 6 patients were upstaged to stage III based on PET findings.

CONCLUSION: FDG PET finds unexpected extrathoracic metastatic disease in 14% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.