MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL BIOPSY CONFIRMS PET FINDINGS IN ESOPHAGEAL CANCER

This report describes our initial experience using positron emission t omography (PET) scanning in esophageal cancer patients. In two patient s PET identified distant metastatic disease missed by conventional sta ging. Laparoscopic biopsy provided histological confirmation of metast ases. In the third patient, locoregional lymph nodes were identified b y PET and confirmed by surgical staging. In this preliminary report, P ET appears to be a promising new noninvasive modality for staging pati ents with esophageal cancer.