The role of positron emission tomography in management of small cell lung cancer

Accurate radiological staging of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is of paramount importance in selection of individual patients with limited stage disease for potentially curative treatment while avoiding toxic treatment in those with distant metastatic disease. [18F] flurodeoxy-d-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is an attractive tool for this purpose but there is limited evidence to support its use in the routine staging of SCLC. Whether therapeutic decisions based on FDG-PET imaging should be made remains uncertain. There is only preliminary evidence for use of FDG-PET as a prognostic biomarker, in the assessment of response to treatment and delineation of disease in conformal radiation planning.