THE CONTRIBUTION OF F-18 FLUORO-2-DEOXY-GLUCOSE POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING TO RADIOTHERAPY PLANNING IN LUNG-CANCER

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.