Staging of Non-small Cell Bronchogenic Carcinoma: Relationship of the Clinical Evaluation to Organ Scans

Abstract

Organ scans are generally performed on patients with bronchogenic carcinoma only when clinical evaluation is suspicious for metastases. However, it is not clear whether the clinical abnormalities will direct attention to the single organ which should be scanned, or if all three organs (bone, brain, liver) should be evaluated if any clinical abnormality is present. We investigated the use of triple organ radionuclide scanning and computerized tomography (CT) of the brain in the initial staging of patients with non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma with no obvious metastases. Of 122 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer, 53 met our criteria for further study. Thirty-three (62 percent) of these had at least one clinical abnormality suggestive of metastasis. Bone scanning detected metastases in seven (21 percent) and head CT in two additional patients (6 percent). Brain and liver scanning had no yield. In only five of these nine patients did the clinical abnormality direct attention to the organ with detectable metastases. Twenty of the 53 (38 percent) patients had a negative routine clinical evaluation, yet bone scanning showed metastases in three (15 percent). We concluded that clinical abnormalities are not specific for the organ in which metastases may be detected, so three scans (bone, liver, CT of the brain) should be obtained if there is any suspicion of metastasis based on history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. The value of bone scanning in clinically normal patients deserves further study.