• Yuji Kishida, Shinichiro Seki, Takeshi Yoshikawa, Tomoo Itoh, Yoshimasa Maniwa, Yoshihiro Nishimura, and Yoshiharu Ohno.
• 1 Division of Radiology, Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.
• AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2018 Jul 1; 211 (1): 185-192.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to prospectively compare the capabilities of integrated FDG PET/CT and conventional staging for identification of TNM factors, evaluation of the TNM and Veterans Administration Lung Study Group (VALSG) stages, and selection of patients with stage I small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC).Subjects And MethodsFifty-nine patients (mean age, 69.6 ± 7.8 [SD] years; range, 40-84 years) with pathologically diagnosed SCLC underwent integrated 18F-FDG PET/CT and conventional staging with enhanced brain MRI. TNM and VALSG stages were evaluated by two different reader groups. Kappa statistics and chi-square test result were determined for evaluations of interobserver agreement of all factors and for each clinical stage for both methods. Diagnostic accuracy of identification of each factor and clinical stage was statistically compared by McNemar test.ResultsInterobserver agreements for all factors and each clinical stage were assessed as almost perfect for PET/CT (0.83 ≤ κ ≤ 0.93; p < 0.001) and substantial and almost perfect (0.63 ≤ κ ≤ 0.96; p < 0.001) for conventional staging plus enhanced brain MRI. The diagnostic accuracy of PET/CT for N factor and TNM stage (N, 89.8% [53/59]; TNM stage, 88.1% [52/59]) was significantly higher than that of conventional staging plus enhanced brain MRI (N, 67.8% [40/59], p = 0.0002; TNM stage, 72.9% [43/59], p = 0.004).ConclusionIntegrated FDG PET/CT with contrast-enhanced brain MRI is potentially equal to or more effective than conventional staging plus enhanced brain MRI for T, N, and M assessment and TNM and VALSG staging of SCLC.

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