Computed Tomography (CT) Misses Large Portion of Cancer Spread to Lung in Osteosarcoma
According to a recent article published in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, computed tomograhy (CT) scans miss over one-third of cancers that have spread to the lung in pediatric patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
Osteosarcoma is a cancer that starts in the bone. It is a disease that mainly affects young adults or adolescents. The most common site of cancer origin is in the bones around the knee. At present, patients are grouped according to whether the cancer is localized (has not spread from its site of origin) or metastatic (spread to distant sites in the body).
Cure rates for osteosarcoma are largely influenced by whether the cancer can be completely removed by surgery. Therefore, it is crucial that physicians know if and where the cancer has spread before and during surgery; this allows surgeons to remove as much of the cancer as possible.
Currently, CT scans are routinely used to help determine if and where the cancer has spread in pediatric patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma. The lung is a common place for cancer to spread (metastasize); cancer spread to the lungs is often surgically removed. However, the accuracy of a CT scans is important since surgeons rely on these results to guide treatment.
Researchers from the Memorial Slone-Kettering Cancer Center recently conducted a study to evaluate the accuracy of results from CT scans in determining the presence of lung metastasis in pediatric patients with osteosarcoma. This study included 28 patients who had received CT scans at a median of 20 days prior to a thoracotomy (surgery in which the chest is exposed) between 1996 and 2004.
During surgery, the surgeons manually palpated the lung to feel for masses. Overall, CT scans missed more than approximately one-third of lung metastases in these patients.
The researchers concluded that results from CT scans miss approximately one-third of lung metastases present in pediatric patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma. They suggest that manual palpation should be a routine part of thoracotamies in these patients.
Reference: Kayton M, Huvos A, Casher J, et al. Computed Tomographic Scan of the Chest Underestimates the Number of Metastaic Lesions in Osteosarcoma. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2006; 41:200-206.
Osteosarcoma is a cancer that starts in the bone. It is a disease that mainly affects young adults or adolescents. The most common site of cancer origin is in the bones around the knee. At present, patients are grouped according to whether the cancer is localized (has not spread from its site of origin) or metastatic (spread to distant sites in the body).
Cure rates for osteosarcoma are largely influenced by whether the cancer can be completely removed by surgery. Therefore, it is crucial that physicians know if and where the cancer has spread before and during surgery; this allows surgeons to remove as much of the cancer as possible.
Currently, CT scans are routinely used to help determine if and where the cancer has spread in pediatric patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma. The lung is a common place for cancer to spread (metastasize); cancer spread to the lungs is often surgically removed. However, the accuracy of a CT scans is important since surgeons rely on these results to guide treatment.
Researchers from the Memorial Slone-Kettering Cancer Center recently conducted a study to evaluate the accuracy of results from CT scans in determining the presence of lung metastasis in pediatric patients with osteosarcoma. This study included 28 patients who had received CT scans at a median of 20 days prior to a thoracotomy (surgery in which the chest is exposed) between 1996 and 2004.
During surgery, the surgeons manually palpated the lung to feel for masses. Overall, CT scans missed more than approximately one-third of lung metastases in these patients.
The researchers concluded that results from CT scans miss approximately one-third of lung metastases present in pediatric patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma. They suggest that manual palpation should be a routine part of thoracotamies in these patients.
Reference: Kayton M, Huvos A, Casher J, et al. Computed Tomographic Scan of the Chest Underestimates the Number of Metastaic Lesions in Osteosarcoma. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2006; 41:200-206.
posted by TM at 10:44 AM
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