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Comparative Study
. 2007 Feb;18(2):338-45.
doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdl374. Epub 2006 Oct 23.

A prospective study of PET/CT in initial staging of small-cell lung cancer: comparison with CT, bone scintigraphy and bone marrow analysis

B M Fischer  1 , J Mortensen, S W Langer, A Loft, A K Berthelsen, B I Petersen, G Daugaard, U Lassen, H H Hansen
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Free article
Comparative Study

A prospective study of PET/CT in initial staging of small-cell lung cancer: comparison with CT, bone scintigraphy and bone marrow analysis

B M Fischer et al. Ann Oncol. 2007 Feb.
Free article

Abstract

Background: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 15%-20% of all lung cancer cases. Accurate and fast staging is mandatory when choosing treatment, but current staging procedures are time consuming and lack sensitivity.

Patients and methods: A prospective study was designed to examine the role of combined positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) compared with standard staging (CT, bone scintigraphy and immunocytochemical assessment of bone marrow biopsy) of patients with SCLC. Thirty-four consecutive patients were included. Twenty-nine patients received initial PET/CT.

Results: PET/CT caused change of stage in 5/29 (17%). Excluding patients with unconfirmed findings or pleural effusion, the sensitivity for accurate staging of patients with extensive disease was the following: for standard staging 79%, PET 93% and PET/CT 93%. Specificity was 100%, 83% and 100%, respectively.

Conclusion: The results from this first study on PET/CT in SCLC indicates that PET/CT can simplify and perhaps even improve the accuracy of the current staging procedure in SCLC. A larger clinical trial, preferably with consequent histological confirmation in case of discordance, however, is warranted.

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