Consideration of myocardial FDG uptake in differentiation of mediastinal lymph node of non-small cell lung cancer

The whole body FDG PET suffers from poor diagnostic competency in differentiation of mediastinal lymph node (LN) in non-small cell lung cancer. In addition to LN FDG uptake. We considered myocardial FDG uptake in mediastinal lymph node staging. Thirty-nine non-small cell lung cancer patients (male: female = 32: 7, age = 63±11 years) who underwent preoperative whole body FDG PET were enrolled. There were 18 squamous cell cancer, 13 adenocarcinoma, and 8 others. Maximum standard uptake values (maxSUVs) of myocardium and LNs using lean body weight were measured and compared with pathological results. Among 187 LNs which were confirmed postoperatively, 31 were malignant, and 156 benign. Of 31 malignant LNs, only 11 were visible on FDG PET (sensitivity : 35.5% = 11/31) but majority of 20 nonvisible metastatic LNs had relevant cause of false negative (11 peribroncheal, 3 mucine producing adenocarcinoma, or 6 low amount of tumor cells). Of 156 benign LNs, 137 were nonvisible (specificity : 87.8% 137/156) and 19 visible. Under subgroup analysis of 30 visible LNs on whole body FDG PET (11 malignant, and 19 benign), maxSUV of myocardium (p = 0.020) as well as maxSUV of LN (p = 0.002) were significant predictor of malignant LN in multivariate analysis. Using the ROC curve, a cut-off value of LN maxSUV > 2.4 provided sensitivity of 81.8% and specificity of 63.2% (AUC 0.775, 95% confidence interval = 0.586 to 0.906). Meanwhile, the composite criterion of LN maxSUV plus square root of myocardial maxSUV > 4.65 provided slightly improved diagnostic competencies (sensitivity 90.9%, specificity 84.2%, AUC 0.876, 95% confidence interval 0.704 to 0.966) (p = 0.08). Taking into consideration myocardial FDG uptake may improve the diagnostic competency of whole body FDG PET in differentiation of mediastinal LNs of non-small cell lung cancer