Incidental carcinomas detected by PET/CT scans in patients with malignant lymphoma

Int J Hematol. 2010 Nov;92(4):647-50. doi: 10.1007/s12185-010-0702-x. Epub 2010 Oct 26.

Abstract

According to the international working group response criteria for malignant lymphoma revised in 2007, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸FDG-PET) combined with or without computed tomography (CT) is recommended for pre-treatment staging and response assessment among patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. Recently, along with the widespread use of PET/CT, unexpected uptake and accumulation of ¹⁸FDG has been reported. Discussed in the present report are patients with malignant lymphoma and second primary carcinomas that were incidentally found by PET/CT. A total of 497 consecutive PET/CT were performed on 290 patients with malignant lymphoma in our institution from April 2008 through March 2010. Eight patients (2.8%) had pathologically confirmed second primary carcinomas consisting of 4 colon cancers, 3 lung cancers, and 1 pancreatic cancer. Two cases were diagnosed at the initial staging, and the others were detected after treatment for lymphoma. It is noteworthy that PET revealed high accumulations of ¹⁸FDG in 5 (62.5%) of the 8 patients without corresponding tumors in conventional CT. All of the 4 patients with colon carcinoma underwent curative surgery. The present study suggests that incidental findings by PET in malignant lymphoma can lead to early detection and successful treatment of second malignancies.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma / diagnostic imaging*
  • Early Detection of Cancer
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Incidental Findings*
  • Lymphoma* / therapy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / diagnostic imaging*
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / epidemiology
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18