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Clinical Investigations |
1 Department of Surgery, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
2 Department of Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
3 Department of Nuclear Medicine/PET Center, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
4 Department of Gastroenterology, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
5 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
6 Department of Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| ABSTRACT |
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Key Words: esophageal cancer PET synchronous neoplasms
| INTRODUCTION |
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The incidence of synchronous cancers in patients with esophageal cancer ranges from 3.6% to 27.1% (4,5). Most of these synchronous cancers are in the head and neck region. Other frequently reported sites of synchronous cancer associated with esophageal cancer are the stomach, lung, and urinary bladder (6,7).
The detection of incidental synchronous tumors in patients with esophageal cancer during preoperative work-up has increased along with recent improvements in diagnostic technology. Whole-body PET with 18F-FDG has been used successfully with increasing frequency in the evaluation and clinical management of many tumors (810). Routine interpretation of 18F-FDG PET scans may reveal incidental hypermetabolic foci that are probably unrelated to the neoplasms for which these patients are initially scanned. On the other hand, lesions on 18F-FDG PET that are interpreted as metastatic deposits of the primary tumor may, in fact, reflect accumulated 18F-FDG in a second synchronous tumor (11).
The aim of this study was to determine the rate and clinical relevance of unexpected synchronous neoplasms seen on 18F-FDG PET scans obtained during the preoperative evaluation of patients with esophageal cancer.
| MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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PET
PET was performed with an ECAT 951/31 or an ECAT HR+ positron camera (Siemens/CTI). The 951/31 acquires 31 planes over 10.9 cm; the HR+, 63 planes over a 15.8-cm axial field of view. All patients fasted for at least 4 h before a mean dose of 410 MBq of 18F-FDG was administered intravenously. The number of bed positions ranged from 7 to 9, depending of the length of the patient, and all patients were scanned from the crown to the mid femoral region. Data acquisition in whole-body mode started 90 min after injection, with data being acquired for 5 min per bed position from the skull to the knees. Transmission imaging for attenuation correction was performed for 3 min per bed position. Data from multiple bed positions were iteratively reconstructed (ordered-subset expectation maximization) into attenuated and nonattenuated whole-body PET images (13).
Interpretation
18F-FDG PET findings were interpreted on computer monitors by 1 of 2 nuclear medicine physicians. Possible sites of metastatic disease from esophageal cancer were reported. 18F-FDG accumulation in regions not likely to be sites of metastatic spread from esophageal cancer was reported as suggestive of synchronous tumor, depending on intensity and pattern. All PET reports were retrospectively analyzed.
| RESULTS |
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A synchronous primary tumor was found in the kidney in 5 patients (patients 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7). In all these patients, initial abdominal CT also revealed a mass in the renal region. Patient 3 underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy revealing peritonitis carcinomatosa, and therefore, no surgical therapy was indicated. In patient 4, cytology revealed a Grawitzs tumor; however, the tumor of the esophagus was not eligible for curative therapy. Patient 5 underwent a curative esophageal resection followed by a curative nephrectomy 3 mo later. Patients 6 and 7 were considered eligible for esophagectomy and nephrectomy in a single surgical session. However, in patient 7 (Fig. 1), after a successful nephrectomy the tumor of the esophagus was considered unresectable because of unexpected invasion of the thoracic aorta. Pathologic examination revealed a Grawitzs tumor in both patients.
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In patient 9, a supraclavicular metastasis was suspected on the basis of 18F-FDG PET findings (Fig. 2). However, neither initial CT nor sonography of the cervical region showed any lymphatic abnormalities, nor did additional MRI of the cervical region. A second sonographic examination with fine-needle aspiration demonstrated a Hürthle cell thyroid tumor, for which a thyroidectomy was performed several months after the initial esophagectomy.
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Benign Lesions
Synchronous neoplasms were suspected in the ascending colon of patients 11 and 12 and in the descending colon of patients 1315. Colonoscopy revealed tubulovillous adenoma in patients 1315, which was resected endoscopically. In patients 11 and 12, no histologic examination was performed before surgery. Patient 11 underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with curative intent. However, because locoregional recurrence developed shortly after resection, follow-up of this synchronous lesion was not possible. In patient 12, diagnostic laparoscopy, which is standard in the diagnostic work-up of cardia carcinoma, revealed peritonitis carcinomatosa, and the lesion in the colon was therefore not analyzed further.
In 4 patients, an unexpected 18F-FDG accumulation was observed in the rectum and considered suggestive of a neoplasm. Sigmoidoscopy revealed tubulovillous adenoma in patient 16 (Fig. 3) and tubular adenoma in patients 17 and 18. All these adenomas were resected endoscopically. In patient 19, no histologic examination was performed. All the patients underwent esophagectomy with curative intention. Patient 19 died postoperatively; therefore, no histologic examination of the rectal lesion was performed.
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| DISCUSSION |
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The rate of unexpected synchronous neoplasms in this study lies within the range of synchronous tumors for esophageal cancer as reported in the literature (4,6,7). In general, the occurrence of synchronous cancers strongly depends on the type of the initial cancer. Synchronous malignant tumors were detected in 9%18% in patients with head and neck cancer, whereas in an inhomogeneous group of various cancer types the rate of malignant and premalignant tumors was 1.7% (1517).
Misinterpretation of synchronous primary neoplasms may lead to incorrect upstaging of the primary tumor, as was demonstrated in patients 8 and 9. These patients were initially suspected of having distant metastases (stage IV), on the basis of the PET findings, and would have erroneously been considered ineligible for surgery if histologic conformation had not been sought. Therefore, additional investigations are mandatory to confirm the PET findings before any therapeutic decision is made. However, 4 lesions were not histologically verified in this study. In some patients, it was argued that the esophageal cancer heavily determined prognosis and that, therefore, the verification of assumed benign or premalignant lesions was not necessary. Nevertheless, the 2 lesions of the colorectum that turned out to be carcinomas are an argument in favor of verification of any positive PET finding. Another reason to verify positive PET findings is the well-known risk of false-positive results. 18F-FDG is not a tumor-specific substance, and false-positive results may occur as a result of increased glucose metabolism in benign lesions (e.g., inflammatory tissue). Therefore, positive findings on 18F-FDG PET must be confirmed by additional investigations, preferably by percutaneous or ultrasound- or CT-guided cytologic biopsy, or dedicated radiography, before patients are denied surgery with curative intent (11). Usually, physiologic colonic activity appears more tubular and diffuse than do separate colonic tumors, which appear more focal and of higher intensity. Because the renal excretion pattern of 18F-FDG is similar to that of other radiopharmaceuticals, physiologic activities in renal collecting systems are easily detectable based on the precise location of activity, intensity of distribution, shape of the calyces and pelvis, and overall pattern of both kidneys.
The detection of synchronous tumors by whole-body 18F-FDG PET poses a dilemma in the choice of the most suitable therapeutic strategy. For synchronous cancers, including esophageal cancer, the highest-priority treatment should focus on the tumor most limiting the prognosis (6). Therefore, optimal pretreatment staging of both tumors to assess their prognosis is the first step in clinical assessment. If discrimination between 2 independent primary tumors versus metastatic disease is not possible based on conventional histology, cytogenetic analysis such as determination of loss of heterozygosity and p53 aberrations may be helpful to therapeutic decision making (18).
Resection of both neoplasms with curative intention frequently offers the best long-term survival; however, even in the case of an incurable synchronous cancer (e.g., metastatic prostate cancer), esophagectomy is not always contraindicated (19). The type of treatment for such esophageal carcinomas strongly depends on the type and prognosis of the synchronous malignancy.
Evidence-based arguments about whether to perform a simultaneous or a staged operation are not available. Suzuki et al. report that simultaneous resection of both neoplasms has acceptable morbidity and mortality rates (18). However, for each patient, the risks and benefits of simultaneous surgery should be weighed against those of a second operation (20).
The incidental detection of synchronous colorectal polyps or cancers and other malignancies by 18F-FDG PET is not uncommon (17,21,22). Unfortunately, 18F-FDG PET is not able to differentiate between colorectal adenoma and carcinoma (23). A true association between adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and colonic neoplasms would suggest common causes and might indicate the existence of an inherited general genetic defect. Another possible explanation might be exposure to environmental factors such as alcohol, smoking, and a fatty diet. In addition, increased expression of the cyclooxygenase 2 enzyme is central to the predisposition of both esophageal and colorectal cancers (24,25). However, a population-based cohort study in Sweden did not demonstrate an association between colorectal cancer and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus (26).
| CONCLUSION |
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| ACKNOWLEDGMENT |
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| FOOTNOTES |
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For correspondence or reprints contact: John Th.M. Plukker, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, P.O. Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
E-mail: j.th.plukker{at}chir.umcg.nl
| REFERENCES |
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