What is the role of PET scanning? Glycolysis is increased in tumor tissue. 18flouro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) is a glucose analogue radiopharmaceutical used in PET to trace glucose metabolism. It has been used to evaluate:

• Mediastinal nodes
• Solitary pulmonary nodule
• Adrenals
• For recurrence at the site of RT fibrosis.

• It is more sensitive than CT in detecting mediastinal node metastasis. Normal results in PET studies preclude the need for mediastinal nodal sampling prior to surgery.
• PET with FDG is an accurate , non-invasive way to diffeentiate benign from metastatic adrenal masses in patients with bronchogenic cancer.
• It detects previously unsuspected distant metastasis by other studies thus changes therapy plans.

  ---

  My recommendation: I have no personal experience with use of PET scans. The literature suggests that PET scanning is going to be an important tool for staging patients with lung cancer. Nuclear medicine studies using the same principle, probably will substitute PET scanning because of its simpilcity and cost.

  Ref:

• Lancet.344(8932):1265-6,1994.
• Chest.108(6):1617-21,1995.
• An of thor surg.60(6):1573-81,1995.
• Am J Res & Crit Care Med.153(1):417-21,1996.
• J thor & card surg.111(3):642-8,1996.
• AJR.168(5)1357-60,1997.

  ---

  Return to Staging