This is the Scientific Surgery Archive, which contains all randomized clinical trials in surgery that have been identified by searching the top 50 English language medical journal issues since January 1998. Compiled by Jonothan J. Earnshaw, former Editor-in-Chief, BJS
Value of positron emission tomography in the diagnosis of recurrent oesophageal carcinoma. BJS 2004; 91: 1004-1009.
Published: 2nd June 2004
Authors: H. Kato, T. Miyazaki, M. Nakajima, M. Fukuchi, R. Manda, H. Kuwano et al.
Background
Positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) might be useful for staging oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). FDG‐PET may be more accurate than computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing lymph node metastasis. This retrospective study compared the ability of FDG‐PET and CT to diagnose recurrent oesophageal carcinoma.
Method
Fifty‐five patients with thoracic oesophageal SCC who had undergone radical oesophagectomy were studied. The accuracy of FDG‐PET and CT in detecting recurrence during follow‐up was calculated using data from the first images generated by either modality that suggested the presence of recurrent disease. Lesions deemed to be equivocal on these scans were considered as positive for recurrence.
Results
Twenty‐seven of the 55 patients had recurrent disease in a total of 37 organs. Locoregional recurrence was observed in 19 patients (35 per cent). Distant recurrent disease occurred in 15 patients (27 per cent) in 18 organs. Six patients had recurrence in the liver, four in the lung, six in bone and two in distant lymph nodes. FDG‐PET showed 96 per cent sensitivity, 68 per cent specificity and 82 per cent accuracy in demonstrating recurrent disease. The corresponding values for CT were 89, 79 and 84 per cent. The sensitivity of FDG‐PET was higher than that of CT in detecting locoregional recurrence, but its specificity was lower because of FDG uptake in the gastric tube and thoracic lymph nodes. In distant organs the sensitivity of PET in detecting lung metastasis was lower than that of CT, but its sensitivity for bone metastasis was higher.
Conclusion
FDG‐PET has a larger field than CT. Combined PET–CT would appear to be an appropriate modality for the detection of recurrent oesophageal cancer. Copyright © 2004 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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