FDG-PET/CT can expedite the diagnosis of lung cancer in an outpatient setting, according to research from the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam.
The study combined FDG-PET/CT with a fast-track model to evaluate over the course of one day 114 patients experiencing pulmonary symptoms and/or abnormal chest x-rays. Results were published in the October issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2009, Vol. 4:10, pp. 1226-1230), with Dr. Tjeerd Aukema as the lead author.
The researchers were able to make a final diagnosis for 92% of patients and determine a malignancy in 84% using PET/CT. The results represent a diagnostic gain of 8% and 7%, respectively, compared to previous techniques. The study also demonstrated a sensitivity rate of 97% and an accuracy rate of 82%.
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