Key words

IJNM

Indian Journal of Nuclear Medicine

0972-3919

Society of Nuclear Medicine, India

ijnm-22-4-048

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Impact of Whole Body PET/CT in Staging Patients of Carcinoma Oesophagus

Pathak

Shah

Arora

Sharma

A R

Purandare

N C

Rangarajan

Bioimaging Unit, Tata Memorial Hospital,

122007

224

Key wordsFDGPET-CTCarcinoma Oesophagus

Aims

The aim of this study is to assess the usefulness of PET CT in pretreatment evaluation of patients with Ca Esophagus.

Materials

44 recently diagnosed patients of Ca Esophagus who had undergone endoscopic ultrasound and CT scan of thorax and were deemed operable were sent for a Whole Body PET-CT.

Methods

All patients were subjected to Whole body PET CT scan performed 60 minutes after IV injection of 370 Mbq of F-18 FDG.The study was performed on a Whole body full ring dedicated PET-CT GE scanner(Discovery ST).The patients were divided into three groups based on the site of the lesion.The PET CT findings were analyzed in all the three groups(upper,mid and lower third lesions) as follows:Size and SUV of the primary lesion.Loco regional nodal involvement. Distant metastases (including distant nodes or other distant metastases) Total number of FDG active lesions in each patient.

Results

PET CT was able to change the staging in one out of 3 (33.3%)patients of upper third group, 4 out of 13 (30.7%)in the mid third group and in 4 out of 24 patients (16.6%) in the lower third group.In 9 out of 44 patients (20.6%)PET CT changed the stage.Out of these 9 patients; 5 patients were upstaged as M1 resulting in change in management of these 5 patients.In rest of the 39 patients (79.4%) there was no change in management and PET CT improved the confidence level to go ahead with a curative treatment plan.

Conclusion

PET-CT changed the stage in 20% of patients and altered treatment plan in 11% of patients.

Impact of Whole Body PET/CT in Staging Patients of Carcinoma Oesophagus

Keywords