Better Assessment of Nodal Metastases by PET/CT Fusion Compared to Side-by-Side PET/CT in Oesophageal Cancer

• Published in: Anticancer research Vol. 28; no. 3B; pp. 1867 - 1873
• Main Authors: SCHREURS, Liesbeth M, PULTRUM, Bareld B, KOOPMANS, Klaas P, VERHOEF, Christian C, JAGER, Pieter L, VAN DAM, Gooitzen M, GROEN, Henk, VAN DER JAGT, Erik J, PLUKKER, John Th. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Attiki International Institute of Anticancer Research 01.05.2008
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Esophageal Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Esophageal Neoplasms - pathology; Esophagus; Female; Fluorine Radioisotopes; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Lymph Nodes - diagnostic imaging; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Positron-Emission Tomography - methods; Radiopharmaceuticals; Retrospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Tumors; Radionuclide study; computed tomography; combined PET/CT; software fusion; Radiodiagnosis; Lymph node; Esophageal disease; Malignant tumor; Metastasis; Esophagus cancer; Oesophageal cancer; Cancerology; FDG-positron emission tomography; Medical imagery; Digestive diseases; Software; Computerized axial tomography; Positron emission tomography; Comparative study; Cancer; Emission tomography
• ISSN: 0250-7005; 1791-7530

Background: Recently, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has been introduced in the staging of oesophageal cancer. The impact of PET/CT fusion in comparison with side-by-side PET/CT in these tumours, was analyzed. Patients and Methods: In 61 patients, 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET and multidetector (md)-CT were performed within a two week interval. Software-fusion of md-CT and FDG-PET was correlated with side-by-side FDG-PET/CT reading by two independent investigators. The gold standard was the pathological outcome or clinical evidence of progression during the first year of follow-up. Results: In 18 patients (18/61; 30%), nodal staging improved with software-fusion. The number of nodal metastases increased in five patients and decreased in four patients, leading to up-staging in one patient (2%) and down-staging in three patients (5%). In nine cases (15%), certainty and localization of metastases improved. However, the number of distant metastases did not change and software-fusion did not have an influence on resectability. Conclusion: PET/CT fusion substantially improves detection and localization of nodal metastases and may have an impact on locoregional treatment options.