The use of radionuclide scans in lung cancer

It is important to emphasize accurate clinical staging in patients with lung cancer. Use of a common staging system by all members of the medical community encourages precise, unambiguous communication and ensures the comparability of various modes of treatment. The most important aspect of staging, however, is the direct relationship between stage of disease and the patient's prognosis: the more advanced the state (i.e., the greater the extent of disease), the worse the prognosis. Recognizing the importance of accurate clinical staging, the authors have routinely employed gallium-67 scanning for 8 years in the staging of lung cancer patients in the Chest Oncology Group at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics. Our extensive experience with the use of gallium scanning has convinced us that it is an invaluable component of the staging process