Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET in the preoperative staging of colorectal cancer.

Introduction: In patients with colorectal cancer (CC), preoperative evaluation and staging should focus on techniques that might alter the preoperative or intraoperative surgical plan. Conventional imaging methods (CT, MRI) have low accuracy for identifying the depth of tumour infiltration and have limited ability to detect regional lymph node involvement. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of FDG-PET in the initial staging of patients with CC in comparison with conventional staging methods and to determine its impact on therapeutic management.

Modulation of soluble phases of endothelial/leukocyte adhesion molecule 1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 with interleukin-1beta after experimental endotoxic challenge.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of treatment with interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) on the concentrations of soluble adhesion molecules after an endotoxic challenge.

Design: Randomized, controlled study.

Setting: Experimental Unit, Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital.