The added value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in staging non-small cell lung cancer

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 80% of all lung cancers. The current criteria for its staging are based on the TNM system that determines treatment options and predicts survival rate in patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography PET/CT in staging of NSCLC patients. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. We reviewed the CT and PET/CT examinations done in our institution on pathologically proven patients of NSCLC, in the period between October 2018 and end of July 2019. Results: A total of 40 patients were evaluated with the age ranging from 37 to 77 years old, and the mean was 55.63 years (SD +/- 10.29). There were 31 male cases and 9 female cases. When we compared contrast enhanced CT (CECT) to PET-CT for staging, PET-CT helped upstage disease in 10 of 40 patients (25%) and downstage in 3 of 40 patients (7.5%). Conclusion: PET/CT is a useful imaging tool in initial staging of the newly diagnosed patients with NSCLC. It is better than CT alone for detection of malignant lesions for accurate staging. It can change the strategy of treatment according to its findings.