Comparison between FDG-PET/CT and bone scan in bone metastasis from NSCLC

With great interest, we read the article by Inal A. et al on the comparison FDG-PET/CT and Bone scan in bone metastasis of NSCLC (April issue 2014, Contemporary Oncology) [1]. We would like to ask the authors two questions. First, we usually take a maximum standard uptake value into consideration in evaluating metastasis in FDG-PET/CT [2]. How about the value in this study population? How much value the authors evaluated its cutoff value in evaluating bone metastasis? Second, the majority of NSCLC patients are middle-aged or elderly, and many of them have degenerative changes in vertebral bones, which may sometimes have uptake both in FDG-PET/CT and bone scan. How the authors differentiate metastasis from degenerative change in FDG-PET/CT and bone scan? How about the difference in sensitivity and specificity in vertebral bones in their patients evaluated?

References

1. Ina A, Kaplan MA, Kucukoner M, Urakcı Z, Dostbil Z, Komek H, Onder H, Tasdemir B, Isıkdogan A. Is there any significance of lung cancer histology to compare the diagnostic accuracies of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT and (99m)Tc-MDP BS for the detection of bone metastases in advanced NSCLC? Contemp Oncol (Pozn) 2014; 18: 106-10.
2. Hur J, Yoon CS, Ryu YH, Yun MJ, Suh JS. Accuracy of fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography for diagnosis of single bone metastasis: comparison with bone scintigraphy. J Comput Assist Tomogr 2007; 31: 812-9. Address for correspondence


Hiroaki Satoh MD
Division of Internal Medicine, Mito Medical Center,
University of Tsukuba,
Miya-machi 3-2-7, Mito, Ibaraki
310-0015 Japan
tel. +81-29-231-2371
e-mail: hirosato@md.tsukuba.ac.jp

Editor Note

Prior to publication of the above letter, the Editors passed it to authors [1] and asked for response. Until now it has not received. Accordingly we still expect the response.

Editor-in-Chief