Staging of pelvic lymph nodes in neoplasms of the bladder and prostate by positron emission tomography with 2-[F-18]-2-deoxy-D-glucose

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether pelvic lymph node metastases in patients with neoplasms of the bladder or prostate can be de tected applying positron emission tomography with 2-[F-18]-2-deoxy-D-glucos e (FDG-PET), Methods: Eight patients with bladder cancer and 17 patients wi th prostate cancer were examined with FDG-PET before pelvic lymph node diss ection. Results of PET were then compared to histology of pelvic lymph node s obtained at surgery. Results: Lymph node metastases were detected by hist opathological examination in 3 patients with bladder cancer and in 6 patien ts with prostate cancer. At the sites with histologically proven metastases , increased FDG uptake suspicious of metastatic disease was found in 2/3 an d 4/6 patients, respectively. The smallest detected metastasis was a microm etastasis with a diameter of 0.9 cm. In 3 additional patients who all had h istopathologically proven micrometastases (empty set less than or equal to 0.5 cm), FDG uptake was within the normal range. No false-positive results were obtained. Conclusions: These results suggest that FDG-PET may be a val uable diagnostic tool in the staging of pelvic lymph nodes in bladder and p rostate cancer. Copyright (C) 1999 S. Karger AG, Basel.