Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Accuracy of positron emission tomography in mediastinal node assessment in coal workers with lung cancer

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Medical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the accuracy of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the assessment of mediastinal lymph node in coal workers who had non-small cell lung cancer. We retrospectively reviewed 42 retired coal workers who had lung cancer without distant metastasis, between May 2007 and May 2010. Regarding the mediastinal lymph nodes, when the standard uptake value was greater than 2.5, it was considered “malignancy positive.” After histological examination of the mediastinal lymph nodes, anthracotic and metastatic ones were detected. The results of PET/CT were analyzed to determine its accuracy. Of these 42 patients, PET/CT detected 47 positive mediastinal lymph nodes in 24 patients with a mean SUV maximum of 6.2 (2.6–13.8). One hundred and thirty-one mediastinal lymph node foci were dissected. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of FDG-PET/CT in detecting nodal metastases were 84% (16/19), 65% (15/23), 66% (16/24), 83% (15/18), and 74% (31/42) on a per-patient basis, respectively. Mediastinal node staging with FDG-PET/CT in coal workers is insufficient due to the high false-positive rates due to the presence of pneumoconiosis. In these patients, an invasive technique such as mediastinoscopy seems mandatory for confirmation of ipsilateral or contralateral mediastinal lymph node metastasis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bayman NA, Blackhall F, Jain P, Lee L, Thatcher N, et al. Management of unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer with combined-modality therapy: a review of the current literature and recommendations for treatment. Clin Lung Cancer. 2008;9:92–101.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Tieu BH, Sanborn RE, Thomas CR Jr. Neoadjuvant therapy for resectable non-small cell lung cancer with mediastinal lymph node involvement. Thorac Surg Clin. 2008;18:403–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Rohren EM, Turkington TG, Coleman RE. Clinical applications of PET in oncology. Radiology. 2004;231:305–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Konishi J, Yamazaki K, Tsukamoto E, Tamaki N, Onodera Y, et al. Mediastinal lymph node staging by FDG-PET in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: analysis of false-positive FDG-PET findings. Respiration. 2003;70:500–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Shim SS, Lee KS, Kim BT, Chung MJ, Lee EJ, et al. Non-small cell lung cancer: prospective comparison of integrated FDG PET/CT and CT alone for preoperative staging. Radiology. 2005;236:1011–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bakheet S, Powe J. 18-FDG uptake due to benign pathology. Semin Nucl Med. 1998;28:352–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Strauss LG. Fluorine-18 deoxyglucose and false-positive results: a major problem in the diagnostics of oncological patients. Eur J Nucl Med. 1996;23:1409–15.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Reichert M, Bensadoun ES. PET imaging in patients with coal workers pneumoconiosis and suspected malignancy. J Thorac Oncol. 2009;4:649–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Chong S, Lee KS, Chung MJ, Han J, Kwon OJ, et al. Pneumoconiosis: comparison of imaging and pathologic findings. RadioGraphics. 2006;26:59–77.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Aydin H. Evaluation of the risk of coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP): a case study for the Turkish hard coal mining. Sci Res Essays. 2010;5:3289–97.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Onito AA, Engel JM, Tanimu SB, Nguyen TC. Anthracosis and large mediastinal mass in a patient with healed pulmonary tuberculosis. Clin Med Res. 2010;8:99–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Rosell R, Gómez-Codina J, Camps C, Maestre J, Padille J, et al. A randomized trial comparing preoperative chemotherapy plus surgery with surgery alone in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 1994;330:153–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Nomori H, Ohba Y, Yoshimoto K, Shibata H, Shiraishi K, et al. Positron emission tomography in lung cancer. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2009;57:184–91.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Gupta NC, Graeber GM, Bishop HA. Comparative efficacy of positron emission tomography with fluorodeoxyglucose in evaluation of small (<1 cm), intermediate (1 to 3 cm), and large (>3 cm) lymph node lesions. Chest. 2000;117:773–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Albes JM, Lietzenmayer R, Schott U, Schülen E, Wehrmann M, et al. Improvement of non-small-cell lung cancer staging by means of positron emission tomography. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1999;47:42–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Vanhee D, Gossett P, Boitelle A, Wallaert B, Tonnee AB. Cytokines and cytokine network in cilicosis and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis. Eur Respir J. 1995;8:834–42.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Katabami M, Dusaka-Akita H, Honma K, Saitoh Y, Kimura K, et al. Pneumoconiosis-related lung cancer: preferential occurence from diffuse interstitial fibrosis-type pneumoconiosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2000;162:295–300.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Alavi A, Gupta N, Alberini JL, Hickeson M, Adam LE, et al. Positron emission tomography imaging in nonmalignant thoracic disorders. Semin Nucl Med. 2002;32:293–321.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Argani P, Ghossein R, Rosai J. Anthracotic and anthracosilicotic spindle cell pseudotumors of mediastinal lymph nodes: report of five cases of a reactive lesion that stimulates malignancy. Hum Pathol. 1998;29:851–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Billé A, Pelosi E, Skanjeti A, Arena V, Errico L, et al. Preoperative intrathoracic lymph node staging in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer: accuracy of integrated positron emission tomography and computed tomography. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2009;36:440–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Reed CE, Harpole DH, Posther KE, Woolson SL, Bowney RJ, et al. Results of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z0050 trial: the utility of positron emission tomography in staging potentially operable non-small cell lung cancer. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2003;126:1943–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Schrevens L, Lorent N, Dooms C, Vansteenkiste J. The role of PET scan in diagnosis, staging, and management of non-small cell lung cancer. Oncologist. 2004;9:633–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Cerfolio RJ, Buddhiwardhan O, Bryant AS, Bass CS, Bartalucci AA, et al. The role of FDG-PET scan in staging patients with nonsmall cell carcinoma. Ann Thorac Surg. 2003;76:861–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lee PC, Port JL, Korst RJ, Liss Y, Meherally DN, et al. Risk factors for occult mediastinal metastases in clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Ann Thorac Surg. 2007;84:177–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Karaelmas University Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak, Turkey

    Ozkan Saydam & Mertol Gokce

  2. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, Bolu, Turkey

    Ali Kilicgun

  3. Department of Medical Oncology, Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine, Aydin, Turkey

    Ozgur Tanriverdi

Authors
  1. Ozkan Saydam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mertol Gokce
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ali Kilicgun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ozgur Tanriverdi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ozgur Tanriverdi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Saydam, O., Gokce, M., Kilicgun, A. et al. Accuracy of positron emission tomography in mediastinal node assessment in coal workers with lung cancer. Med Oncol 29, 589–594 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-011-9879-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-011-9879-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation