Value of PET/CT Scanning in Detection of Osseous and Marrow Metastatic Lesions in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Abstract Background Early diagnosis of cancer remains to be of paramount importance to maximize a patient’s long-term survival and reduce various neurological, hematological, and orthopedic complications that may arise. Skeletal metastasis (SM) is a frequently encountered and important complication of cancer which can lead to intolerable pain. Objectives The goal of the study was to illustrate the value of combined 18F-FDG PET/CT over isolated CT for detection of osseous metastases in cancer patients. Patients and Methods The study included 75 patients. 18F-PET/CT scans were performed. In this study, a lesion-based analysis was performed in detailed retrograde manner. Statistical analysis including specificity, Sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) of each of these modalities were calculated. A final diagnosis of metastasis was confirmed by biopsy. Results Combined PET-CT examination is highly sensitive imaging modality in detection of early bone marrow metastatic lesions which are not yet evident on conventional CT study. Conclusion Combined 18-F FDG PET/CT significantly improves the sensitivity and specificity of isolated CT for the detection of osseous and bone marrow metastases. Thus, it adds a significant value that can detect lesions and consequently start a treatment course and improve the overall outcome of the disease process.