Predictive value of primary tumor (18)F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters for lymph node metastasis in treatment-naïve ALK-positive NSCLC.
PET scan measurements predict hidden lymph node spread in ALK+ lung cancer, potentially guiding surgeons toward more targeted, individualized operations.
A retrospective analysis of 157 ALK+ NSCLC patients found that combining primary tumor SUVmax and size yields AUC 0.81 for predicting lymph node metastasis on PET/CT, and identifies occult LNM cases by elevated TLG. This has potential to guide personalized lymph node dissection in ALK+ NSCLC surgery planning.
What the study was
- Study design
- Retrospective cohort study
- Population
- Treatment-naïve ALK+ NSCLC patients, n=157 (Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital 2021-2024)
- Sample size
- 157
- Category
- Diagnostics
- Maturity
- Exploratory
- Journal
- Cancer imaging
Why it surfaced
Useful surgical planning tool for ALK+ NSCLC; AUC 0.81 is modest but discriminating for OLNM identification. Retrospective single-center.
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