Improved Detection of Bone Metastases from Lung Cancer in the Thoracic Cage using 5- and 1-mm Axial Images versus a New CT Software Generating Rib Unfolding Images:Comparison with Standard ~18F-FDG-PET/CT

摘要

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world with steadily increasing incidence, and it has one of the highest cancer-related death rates (1). Bone metastases are found in 20%-40% of patients with lung cancer at the initial diagnosis (2,3). Accurate staging of these patients has prognostic and therapeutic consequences as disseminated disease generally implies systemic, palliative therapy. Moreover, skeletal-related events are frequent complications in these patients (4). Bone metastases can involve any skeletal site, but the spine and the ribs are most frequently unfolded rib display does not fully replace the "conventional" reading of the axial slices, which may reduce the effective reading time difference to some extend.