Computed tomography of the brain, liver, and upper abdomen in the staging of small cell carcinoma of the lung.

Computed tomography (CT) examinations of the brain, liver, and upper abdomen were obtained in 60 previously untreated patients with histologically proven small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL). These results, together with clinical findings and laboratory investigations including radionuclide scans, determined the final staging of the patients. Computed tomography changed the stage from limited to extensive disease in three patients and from extensive to limited disease in seven patients. Overall, 10 of 60 patients (16%) had their final stage altered by CT. This study indicates that CT examinations may yield valuable information in some cases of small cell lung cancer but that it is of limited value in the routine staging of these patients.