A comparison of endoscopic ultrasound guided biopsy and positron emission tomography with integrated computed tomography in lung cancer staging.

Background And Study Aims: Exact staging of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is important to improve selection of resectable and curable patients for surgery. Positron emission tomography with integrated computed tomography (PET/CT) and endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNA) are new and promising methods, but indications in lung cancer staging are controversial. Only few studies have compared the 2 methods.

Sentinel node biopsy for melanoma: a study of 241 patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sentinel node biopsy (SNB) technique for melanoma using both radiocolloid and blue dye in 241 clinically N0 patients with melanomas >1.0 mm, or thinner lesions exhibiting regression/ulceration. We showed that an increase in injected radioactivity increased both the number of visualized nodes at lymphoscintigraphy and the number of SNs removed surgically.

FDG-PET in the clinical management of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a molecular functional imaging technique that provides qualitative and quantitative information about the localization and activity of pathophysiological processes. The most commonly used tracer for oncological purposes is 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG). FDG-PET has within recent years become the most important nuclear medicine imaging modality in the management of lymphoma.

Gamma-camera 18F-FDG PET in diagnosis and staging of patients presenting with suspected lung cancer and comparison with dedicated PET.

Unlabelled: It is not clear whether high-quality coincidence gamma-PET (gPET) cameras can provide clinical data comparable with data obtained with dedicated PET (dPET) cameras in the primary diagnostic work-up of patients with suspected lung cancer. This study focuses on 2 main issues: direct comparison between foci resolved with the 2 different PET scanners and the diagnostic accuracy compared with final diagnosis determined by the combined information from all other investigations and clinical follow-up.

Methods: Eighty-six patients were recruited to this study through a routine diagnostic program.

Positron emission tomography of incidentally detected small pulmonary nodules.

The aim of this study was to assess the value of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) imaging of small pulmonary nodules incidentally detected by spiral computed tomography (CT) in a high-risk population. Ten patients (five females, five males, aged 54-72 years) were recruited from an ongoing 4-year placebo controlled intervention study of the effect of inhaled steroids in 300 smokers with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The participants received yearly CT scans of the chest.