Accuracy of18F-FDG PET/CT in Evaluating Mediastinal and Hilar Lymph Node Metastasis of Lung Cancer / 中国医学影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

PurposeTo investigate the accuracy of18F-FDG PET/CT in diagnosing mediastinal and hilar lymph node metastasis of lung cancer and in guiding surgery. Materials and Methods Seventy-eight pathology-proven lung cancer patients underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scanning and surgery. Histology was used as gold standard to evaluate the diagnosis of mediastinal and hilar lymph node metastasis.18F-FDG PET/CT was also compared to chest CT.Results The pathological examination confirmed metastasis lymph nodes in 105 out of 231 excised lymph nodes in 18 patients. No lymph node metastasis was found in mediastinum in the other 60 patients with lymph node staging of pN0. Lymph node staging was pN1 in 5 patients, pN2 in 11 patients, and pN3 in 2 patients. In all 78 cases, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of18F-FDG PET/CT were 80.9%, 94.7%, 91.0%, 85.0%, 93.1%; while 61.1%, 71.7%, 69.2%, 39.2%, 86.0% on chest CT. These were statistically different (χ2=4.325,P<0.05).Conclusion PET/CT is superior to plain chest CT examination as an accurate and efficient method in evaluating lymph nodes staging of lung cancer.