Is FDG-PET/CT Useful for Diagnosing Pulmonary Metastasis in Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcoma?

Anticancer Res. 2018 Jun;38(6):3635-3639. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.12638.

Abstract

Background/aim: In patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS), distinguishing small metastatic pulmonary nodules from benign ones remains difficult. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) in detecting pulmonary metastasis and identify factors affecting sensitivity with STS.

Materials and methods: The clinical records and chest CT and FDG-PET/CT scans of 102 patients with STS were reviewed to determine the presence of pulmonary nodules.

Results: A significant relationship was observed between nodule size and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). For nodules smaller than 5 mm, only 10 out of 76 metastatic pulmonary nodules exhibited FDG accumulation, showing a weak correlation between nodule size and SUVmax Conclusion: The role of FDG-PET/CT in differentiating metastatic from benign pulmonary nodules was unsatisfactory, especially for small nodules. Careful follow-up using CT scan may still be appropriate for diagnosing pulmonary nodules smaller than 5 mm.

Keywords: FDG; PET; PET/CT; pulmonary metastases; soft tissue sarcoma.

MeSH terms

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary
  • Multimodal Imaging / methods
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sarcoma / diagnostic imaging*
  • Sarcoma / pathology
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*

Substances

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18