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Two Scans Better Than One for Lung Cancer |
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THURSDAY, April 15 (HealthDayNews) -- Combining data from computerized tomography (CT) scans and positron emission tomography (PET) improves the targeting of lung tumors for radiation therapy.
So says a study in the April 15 issue of the International Journal of Radiation, Oncology, Biology, Physics.
Currently, the standard approach is to use CT alone to target lung tumors for radiation therapy. CT scans provide detailed images of the size and shape of cancerous growths.
In this study, Washington University researchers found that adding PET data to the mix greatly improves the ability of radiologists to precisely define the locations of tumors for radiation treatment.
PET provides radiologists with detailed information about tissue function and activity, such as increased metabolic activity of a tumor.
This study included 26 people with non-small-cell lung cancer, the most common form of lung cancer. Two therapy plans were developed for each patient. One therapy plan was created using only CT data, while the second plan was created using both CT and PET data.
Adding the PET data changed and improved patient treatment plans 58 percent of the time, the study found. Using the combined data, doctors were able to more accurately identify tumor location, which improves radiation treatment efficacy and limits side effects.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about lung cancer.
(SOURCES: Washington University School of Medicine, news release, April 2004)
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