[Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography imaging of carcinoma of cardia or fundus of stomach].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the value of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) in carcinoma of cardia or fundus of stomach.

METHODS

From April 1999 to April 2005, 57 patients with carcinoma of cardia or fundus of stomach were imaged with FDG-PET. FDG-PET imaging were analyzed by visual method combined with semiquantitative analysis. The results were compared with pathological findings and follow-up results.

RESULTS

In 29 untreated patients, 25 T(2) to T(4) tumors were all FDG avid and 4 T(1) cases showed nothing abnormal at the primary site. In 24 patients performed curative operation 40 resected enlarged lymph nodes beyond 1 cm were diagnosed correctly by FDG-PET. FDG-PET revealed distant metastases in 5 patients and corrected them from curative surgery candidates to late stage. In 28 treated patients FDG-PET confirmed 22 cases with recurrence or metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

FDG-PET has limited value in confirming T stage in carcinoma of cardia or fundus of stomach. It showed potential in N and M staging and predicting treatment response.