Role of (18) F-FDG PET scanning in detecting osseous metastases in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a community setting: A retrospective data analysis

17067 Background: Metastasis from a distant site is the most common neoplastic process involving bone. Accurate staging of NSCLC is critical for effective management. Bone scans have been traditionally used for diagnosing bone metastases in NSCLC. Recently, PET scanning has been shown to be effective in detecting bone metastases in several studies. In NSCLC, using a single PET scan to evaluate both the primary tumor and bone metastases might be more cost-effective and if the accuracy of PET scanning for detection of bone metastases can be established, the need for bone scanning may be obviated. We performed a retrospective comparison between PET scan and bone scan in NSCLC patients diagnosed and treated in a community hospital setting. Methods: 50 patients who were diagnosed with NSCLC between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2004 and who had both PET scan and Bone scan done within 3 months of each other were included in the study. 47 patients had both investigations within 40 days duration. Data regardin...