PET/CT scans are a potentially useful tool for predicting local recurrence in lung cancer patients treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA), according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
RFA, which uses localized thermal energy to kill cancer cells, is used increasingly as an alternative treatment for patients unable to undergo surgery or other therapies to treat lung cancer.
Lead study author Amit Singnurkar, MD, assistant professor of radiology and medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, said the study reinforces the utility of FDG-PET imaging in cancer detection and follow-up, while also providing new insight into factors that can be used for earlier prediction of recurrence after radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors.
The five-year study followed 68 patients with 94 pulmonary lesions, including metastases and primary lung cancers. By reviewing FDG-PET/CT scans performed before and after RFA, researchers were able to determine several indicators that could help predict local recurrence.
Among pre-RFA scans, lesion size and the type of tumor -- primary or metastases -- were factors in determining potential for local recurrence. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) were also factors in pre-RFA scans, although SUVs were not independent of lesion size.
PET/CT scans conducted after RFA indicated that FDG uptake patterns, size of ablation margins, and SUV were parameters that could predict the likelihood of recurrence.
The researchers also concluded that information from the pre- and post-PET/CT scans can increase the accuracy of recurrence detection and allow earlier diagnosis, facilitating enhanced treatment management and leading to improved patient outcomes.
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