Advantages of Combined PET-CT in Mediastinal Staging in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma

INTRODUCTION: Precise mediastinal lymph node staging in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) provides important prognostic information and it is obligatory in treatment strategy planning. 18Fluoro-deoxy-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography - computerized tomography (PET-CT) based on detection of metabolic activity showed superiority in preoperative staging of lung carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total number of 26 patients diagnosed with NSCLC were included in this retrospective, cross-sectional study. Status of mediastinal lymph nodes was assessed in all patients comparing contrast enhanced CT and 18F-FDG PET-CT findings. DISCUSSION: We found in our study that 50% of patients had different N stage on contrast enhanced CT comparing to 18F-FDG PET-CT findings. Among the total number of patients which had different nodal status on PET-CT comparing to CT alone, we found in our study that 54% of patients had change in further therapy protocol after PET-CT change of nodal stage. CONCLUSION: Combined PET-CT which offers advantages of both modalities is excellent method for nodal (N) staging, so it is recommended in initial staging in patients with NSCLC. PET-CT used preopratively for mediastinal nodal staging has significant impact on further therapy planning and also has an consequential impact on health system savings.