The role of positron emission tomography with 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose in respiratory oncology.

In the past 5 yrs, positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) has become an important imaging modality in lung cancer patients. At this time, the indication of FDG-PET as a complimentary tool to computed tomography in the diagnosis and staging of nonsmall cell lung cancer has gradually gained more widespread acceptance and also reimbursement in many European countries. This review focuses on the data of FDG-PET in the diagnosis of lung nodules and masses, and in locoregional and extrathoracic staging of nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Unexplained rising carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the postoperative surveillance of colorectal cancer: the utility of positron emission tomography (PET).

The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of positron emission tomography with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) in patients with unexplained rising carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the postoperative surveillance of colorectal cancer. 50 consecutive patients with elevated CEA levels and a completely normal (n=31) or equivocal (n=19) conventional diagnostic work-up (CDW) were retrospectively selected. All PET images were reviewed with full knowledge of the CDW.

Prognostic value of positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) after first-line chemotherapy in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: is [18F]FDG-PET a valid alternative to conventional diagnostic methods?

Purpose: A complete remission (CR) after first-line therapy is associated with longer progression-free survival (PFS). However, defining CR is not always easy because of the presence of residual masses. Metabolic imaging with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) offers the ability to differentiate between viable and fibrotic inactive tissue.

Clinical value of [(18)F]fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography for patients with fever of unknown origin.

We describe the diagnostic contribution of [(18)F]fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scan in 58 consecutive cases of fever of unknown origin (FUO) and compare this new approach with gallium scintigraphy. This investigation was performed from March 1996 through October 1998 at Gasthuisberg University Hospital in Leuven, Belgium. A final diagnosis was established for 38 patients (64%).

Utility of positron emission tomography for the staging of patients with potentially operable esophageal carcinoma.

Purpose: A prospective study of preoperative tumor-node-metastasis staging of patients with esophageal cancer (EC) was designed to compare the accuracy of 18-F-fluoro-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) with conventional noninvasive modalities.

Patients And Methods: Seventy-four patients with carcinomas of the esophagus (n = 43) or gastroesophageal junction (n = 31) were studied. All patients underwent attenuation-corrected FDG-PET imaging, a spiral computed tomography (CT) scan, and an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS).

The impact of (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) lymph node staging on the radiation treatment volumes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) combined with computer tomography (PET-CT) is superior to CT alone in mediastinal lymph node (LN) staging in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We studied the potential impact of this non-invasive LN staging procedure on the radiation treatment plan of patients with NSCLC.

Patients And Methods: The imaging and surgical pathology data from 105 patients included in two previously published prospective LN staging protocols form the basis for the present analysis.

Prognostic importance of the standardized uptake value on (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose-positron emission tomography scan in non-small-cell lung cancer: An analysis of 125 cases. Leuven Lung Cancer Group.

Purpose: The amount of radio-labeled (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose (FDG) uptake, a measurement of the increased glucose metabolism of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, has recently been correlated with proliferation capacity. The Standardized Uptake Value (SUV), a semi-quantitative measurement of FDG uptake on positron emission tomography (PET) scan, could thus be of prognostic significance.

Patients And Methods: We analyzed the follow-up of 125 potentially operable NSCLC patients, previously included in three of our prospective PET protocols.

Simultaneous maximum a posteriori reconstruction of attenuation and activity distributions from emission sinograms.

In order to perform attenuation correction in emission tomography an attenuation map is required. We propose a new method to compute this map directly from the emission sinogram, eliminating the transmission scan from the acquisition protocol. The problem is formulated as an optimization task where the objective function is a combination of the likelihood and an a priori probability.

New arguments for a vasculitic nature of polymyalgia rheumatica using positron emission tomography.

Objective: To study the possible contribution of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica.

Methods: A consecutive case series consisting of five patients with polymyalgia rheumatica, six patients with temporal arteritis and 23 age-matched patients with other inflammatory conditions were evaluated with FDG-PET. Studies were performed before therapy with steroids was started.

Additional value of whole-body positron emission tomography with fluorine-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose in recurrent colorectal cancer.

Purpose: To assess the additional value of the whole-body [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scan as a staging modality complementing conventional diagnostic methods (CDM) in patients suspected of having recurrent colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Patients And Methods: In 103 patients, the discordances between FDG-PET and CDM results were identified and related to the final diagnosis obtained by histopathology or clinical follow-up (> 1 year). All FDG-PET studies were reviewed with full knowledge of the CDM findings.

Potential use of FDG-PET scan after induction chemotherapy in surgically staged IIIa-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer: a prospective pilot study. The Leuven Lung Cancer Group.

Background: Clearance of viable tumour cells in mediastinal lymph nodes (MLN) by induction chemotherapy (IC)--so-called MLN downstaging--is an important aspect of combined-modality treatment of N2-NSCLC. Reassessment of MLN after IC by CT is far from accurate, while re-mediastinoscopy is often technically difficult. Based on our previous results with FDG-PET in the initial staging of N2 disease, we investigated whether PET after IC could be helpful in predicting MLN downstaging and therapeutic outcome.

Proliferative myositis: a case of a pseudomalignant process.

A case of proliferative myositis, an unusual inflammatory pseudotumor of a skeletal muscle, is presented. Often it is erroneously misdiagnosed as a malignant neoplasm.

FDG-PET scan in potentially operable non-small cell lung cancer: do anatometabolic PET-CT fusion images improve the localisation of regional lymph node metastases? The Leuven Lung Cancer Group.

Exact localisation of thoracic lymph nodes (LNs) on fluorine-18 fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) can be hampered by the paucity of anatomical landmarks. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients referred for locoregional LN staging, we prospectively examined to what extent localisation of LNs at PET reading could be improved by visual correlation with computed tomography (CT), or by anatometabolic PET+CT fusion images. Fifty-six patients with potentially operable NSCLC underwent CT, PET and surgical staging.

Lymph node staging in non-small-cell lung cancer with FDG-PET scan: a prospective study on 690 lymph node stations from 68 patients.

Purpose: To compare the accuracy of computed tomography-(CT) scan and the radiolabeled glucose analog 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) visually correlated with CT (PET + CT) in the locoregional lymph node (LN) staging of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Sixty-eight patients with potentially operable NSCLC underwent thoracic CT, PET, and invasive surgical staging (ISS). Imaging studies were read prospectively and blinded to the surgical and pathologic data.

Mediastinal lymph node staging with FDG-PET scan in patients with potentially operable non-small cell lung cancer: a prospective analysis of 50 cases. Leuven Lung Cancer Group.

Study Objective: To compare the performance of CT, radio-labeled 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) blinded to CT, and FDG-PET visually correlated with CT, in the detection of N2 metastatic mediastinal lymph nodes (MLN) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to hypothesize how PET could influence our actual mediastinal staging procedures.

Setting: Tertiary university hospital.

Patients And Methods: In 50 patients with potentially operable NSCLC, thoracic CT, PET, and invasive surgical staging were performed.