NEW YORK -- October 2, 2009 -- Research published in the October 2009 issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology has found an effective combination of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) tests to diagnose lung cancer in a "fast-tracked" outpatient setting.
The novel approach to the diagnosis of lung cancer demonstrated a high level of sensitivity (97%) and accuracy (82%). The fast track model tests patients for lung cancer over the course of 1 day and could expedite identification and treatment of the disease.
Using the 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging technique, with a PET/CT scanner, researchers evaluated 114 patients experiencing pulmonary symptoms and/or abnormal chest x-rays.
Researchers were able to make a final diagnosis for 92% of the patients using the fast-tracked model, and determine a malignancy in 84% of the patients. These results represent a diagnostic gain of 8% and 7%, respectively, compared with previous techniques.
Non-small cell lung cancer was diagnosed in 67%, small-cell lung cancer in 7%, and metastases or other malignancies in 10%. Nonmalignant lesions were found in 16% of the patients.
PET/CT showed unexpected M1 disease, not detected on CT, in 10% of the patients. Almost half of the patients with a malignancy were scheduled for curative treatment, of whom 29 patients for surgery and 14 patients for chemoradiotherapy.
"Our approach resulted in a fast and accurate diagnosis and allowed for treatment to be initiated without delays." said lead author Tjeerd S. Aukema, MD, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
"These results suggest that availability of fast track assessment facilities can contribute to appropriate and timely evaluation of lung malignancies."
SOURCE: International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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