The role of integrated positron emission tomography and computed tomography in the assessment of nodal spread in cases with non-small cell lung cancer.

Integrated positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning has become the standard for oncologic imaging. We sought to determine the role of PET/CT in mediastinal non-small cell lung cancer staging. One hundred and twenty-seven consecutive patients were enrolled in the study where PET/CT was performed due to pathologically defined non-small cell carcinoma from a single center. They all underwent complete resection with a thoracotomy and systemic lymph node dissection (SLND) between October 2005 and January 2007. Postoperative pathology results of lymph node stations regarding the nodal spread and stage were compared with clinical stage obtained by PET/CT. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) of PET/CT in N2 cases were determined to be 72.0%, 94.4%, 92.7%, 97.7% and 49.2%, respectively. Maximum standard uptake (SUV(max)) cut-off value for mediastinal N2 involvement in PET/CT was obtained by applying 'receiver operating characteristic' (ROC) analysis that was set to 5.2. Correct stage with PET/CT was established in 76.3% of cases. Staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the PET/CT for which we determined 97.79% NPV, we consider that thoracotomy without preoperative mediastinal invasive staging in cases of negative mediastinal involvement in PET/CT can be certainly performed.