Abstract :
Background: Extrathoracic metastases (ETMs) are common in non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at presentation.
Objective: Our study was to detect the percentage distribution of ETMs in various organs at presentation in patients with NSCLC.
Methodology: Between January 2017 and November 2018 inpatient records of all NSCLC was retrospectively analysed for ETMs.
Results: We included 71 patients of NSCLC. ETMs were diagnosed in 35.2% (25/71) of the patients at presentation. 18 fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography combined with Computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) played crucial role in detecting unexpected ETMs. Brain was the most common organ involved in extrathoracic metastases.
Conclusions: Distant metastases at presentation are usual in NSCLC and FDG-PET CT is the key imaging modality to be done in all patients of NSCLC to detect unexpected ETMs.
Keyword :
Non-small cell lung cancer; Extrathoracic metastases; PET/CT.