Impact of PET/CT on Management of Patients: Clinical Details
| Patient no. | Diagnosis | PET/CT additional value* | Lesion definition after PET/CT | Impact and follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lung cancer, treatment response | a | Vascular structure | Exclusion of cancer, NED on 7-mo follow-up |
| 2 | Lung cancer, suspected recurrence | a | Vascular structure | Exclusion of cancer, NED on 7-mo follow-up |
| 3 | Lung cancer, suspected recurrence | a | Vascular structure | Exclusion of cancer, NED on 7-mo follow-up |
| 4 | Stomach cancer, suspected recurrence | a | Physiologic uptake in gastric lumen | Exclusion of cancer, NED on 7-mo follow-up |
| 5 | Lung cancer, suspected recurrence | a | Vascular structure | Exclusion of hilar metastasis, radiotherapy of single bone metastasis |
| 6 | Melanoma, staging | b, e | Thyroid lesion | Guiding biopsy, benign nodule |
| 7 | Lung cancer, staging | c | Lesion in ischium | Guiding biopsy, tendinitis |
| 8 | Breast cancer, suspected recurrence | b | Mediastinal LN | Guiding mediastinoscopy, antracotic LN |
| 9 | Colon cancer, suspected recurrence | c | Lesion in colon | Guiding colonoscopy and biopsy, recurrence |
| 10 | SPN, diagnosis | c | Lesion in colon | Guiding biopsy, primary colon cancer and lung metastasis |
| 11 | Colon cancer, suspected recurrence | b, e | Supraclavicular LN | Guiding biopsy, metastatic adenopathy |
| 12 | Renal tumor, suspected recurrence | b | Mass in pancreas | Guiding biopsy, metastasis in pancreas |
| 13 | SPN, diagnosis | d | Lesion in lung | Guiding curative surgery, bronchoalveolar cancer |
| 14 | Colon cancer, suspected recurrence | c | Abdominal mass | Guiding surgery, omental metastases |
| 15 | Colon cancer, suspected recurrence | c | Parasplenic LN | Guiding surgery, LN metastases |
| 16 | Colon cancer, suspected recurrence | b, e | Pelvic LN | Guiding surgery, LN metastases |
| 17 | Recurrent colon cancer, restaging | e | Hepatic lesion | Planning surgical approach, liver wedge resection |
| 18 | Colon cancer, suspected recurrence | b, e | Mesenteric LN | Referred to chemotherapy |
| 19 | Colon cancer, suspected recurrence | b, e | Parailiac LN | Referred to chemotherapy |
| 20 | Recurrent ovary cancer, restaging | b, e | Parasplenic LN | Referred to chemotherapy, surgery canceled |
| 21 | Recurrent lung cancer, restaging | c, e | Lung lesion | Referred to chemotherapy, surgery canceled |
| 22 | Lung cancer, suspected recurrence | c, e | Retrocrural LN | Referred to chemotherapy in addition to surgery and radiotherapy |
| 23 | Lung cancer, suspected recurrence | b, e | Lesion in left ilium | Referred to radiotherapy |
| 24 | Lymphoma, treatment response | d | Nasopharynx | Referred to radiotherapy |
| 25 | Lung cancer, suspected recurrence | e | Mediastinal LN | Change in radiation fields |
| 26 | Bladder cancer, suspected recurrence | b, e | Pelvic LN | Change in radiation fields |
| 27 | Cervical cancer, staging | c | Retroperitoneal LN | Change in radiation fields |
| 28 | Lung cancer, suspected recurrence | a | Vascular structure | Exclusion of additional malignant site, change in radiation fields |
↵* PET/CT additional value: Categories by which PET/CT induced changes in image interpretation of suspected sites were classified as follows: a = characterization as definitely benign (exclusion of malignancy); b = characterization as definitely malignant; c = precise anatomic localization of malignant site; d = retrospective detection on PET; e = retrospective detection on high-resolution contrast-enhanced CT and on CT of PET/CT.
NED = no evidence of disease; LN = lymph node.