Jd. Kiffer et al., THE CONTRIBUTION OF F-18 FLUORO-2-DEOXY-GLUCOSE POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING TO RADIOTHERAPY PLANNING IN LUNG-CANCER, Lung cancer, 19(3), 1998, pp. 167-177
A retrospective analysis was performed to determine whether coronal th
oracic [F-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-
PET) scans, if viewed at the time of radiotherapy (RT) planning, would
have influenced the anterior-posterior (AP) RT volumes that were admi
nistered to a group of unoperated lung cancer patients. Viewing of PET
and diagnostic images enabled a qualitative assessment of whether abn
ormal thoracic PET activity was present in areas regarded as normal by
diagnostic imaging; this would, therefore, have influenced the RT vol
ume if done prospectively. Additionally a method of graphical co-regis
tration was devised to quantitate the adequacy of coverage of each pat
ient's abnormal PET activity by his/her actual RT field. Of 15 patient
s analyzed, 26.7% (four patients) would have had their RT volume influ
enced by PET findings, highlighting the potential value of PET in trea
tment planning. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights rese
rved.