Do. Slosman et al., SATELLITE PET AND LUNG-CANCER - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY IN SURGICAL PATIENTS, Nuclear medicine communications, 14(11), 1993, pp. 955-961
Positron emission tomography (PET) appears to be an innovative method
for imaging the proliferative activity of malignant tissue, in particu
lar by means of F-18-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). The potential
role of PET scanning was investigated in a satellite centre as an adju
nct to conventional methods for estimating the likelihood of pulmonary
malignancy. Therefore the sensitivity of detection of lung cancer in
candidates was determined prior to exploratory or therapeutic thoracot
omy by FDG PET imaging. The study involved 36 patients with abnormal c
hest roentgenogram and suspected lung cancer who were due for thoracot
omy. The PET scans were evaluated qualitatively and semiquantitatively
. Pulmonary malignancy was found in 31/36 patients and 29 had a focal
increase in FDG pulmonary uptake. Benign pulmonary lesions were found
in 5/36 patients, three of whom had a negative PET scan. The sensitivi
ty of detection of lung cancer by FDG PET was therefore 93.5%. Bayesia
n study shows that FDG PET could be the most useful method in a popula
tion with a low prevalence of lung cancer. As illustrated by our study
, a simple FDG PET scanning protocol in a satellite PET centre could p
rovide adequate clinical information and help in deciding subsequent p
atient management.