Role of positron emission tomography-computed tomography in non-small cell lung cancer

Table 1 Previously published randomized controlled trials to assess role of positron emission tomography in non-small cell lung cancer

Ref.	Publication year	Control arm	Test arm	Primary outcome	Result	Conclusion
van Tinteren et al[20] (PLUS study)	2002	CI ± brain imaging + invasive diagnostic procedures (n = 96)	CI ± brain imaging + PET + invasive diagnostic procedures (n = 92)	Number of futile thoracotomy	Significant reduction in futile thoracotomy with PET-CT as compared to CI (19 vs 39, P = 0.003, relative reduction 51%, 95%CI: 32%-80%)	Addition of PET to CI prevented unnecessary surgery in one out of five patients in suspected NSCLC
Viney et al[22]	2004	CI (n = 92)	CI + PET (n = 91)	Proportions of patients in whom thoracotomy was avoided	No significant reduction in thoracotomy with the use of PET as compared to conventional imaging (4 vs 2, P = 0.2)	PET has the potential for more appropriate stage specific therapy, it may not lead to a significant reduction in the number of thoracotomies avoided
Herder et al[23]	2006	CI ± brain imaging + invasive diagnostic procedures (n = 233)	CI ± brain imaging + invasive diagnostic procedures (n = 232)	Number of tests and procedures to finalize staging and operability	Equal mean (standard deviation) number of procedures to finalize staging in CI and PET arm; 7.9 (2.0) vs 7.9 (1.9), P = 0.90	No significant reduction in total numbers of diagnostic procedures in two groups
Fischer et al[15]	2009	CI + invasive diagnostic procedures (n = 91)	Conventional imaging + PET-CT + invasive diagnostic procedures (n = 98)	Number of futile thoracotomy	Reduction in futile thoracotomy with PET-CT (21 vs 38, P = 0.05)	PET-CT reduced both the total number of thoracotomies and the number of futile thoracotomies
Maziak et al[21]	2009	CI ± brain imaging + invasive diagnostic procedures (n = 167)	PET-CT + brain imaging + invasive agnostic procedures (n = 170)	Correct upstaging to avoid stage inappropriate surgery	Significantly more upstaging with PET-CT as compared to CI (13.8% vs 6.8%, difference 7.0%, P = 0.046)	PET-CT identifies more patients with mediastinal and extra-thoracic disease than CI

PET-CT: Positron emission tomography-computed tomography; NSCLC: Non-small cell lung cancer.