Integrated FDG PET/CT is significantly better than stand-alone CT for lung cancer staging and provides enhanced accuracy and specificity in nodal staging.

MTV, a volumetric parameter of (18)F-FDG PET, is an important independent prognostic factor for survival and a better predictor of survival than SUVmax for the primary tumor in patients with esophageal carcinoma.

FDG PET is more sensitive than CT for depicting nodal metastases in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. FDG PET is slightly less specific than CT for depicting metastases, but the difference in specificity between the two modalities is statistically significant. Both FDG PET and CT have low sensitivity for depicting nodal metastasis. The relatively low specificity of FDG PET for depiction of nodal metastasis compared with that of CT is caused mainly by a high rate of false-positive hilar node interpretations.

Integrated FDG PET/CT provides high specificity and positive predictive value of mediastinal nodal staging in stage T1 NSCLC, although the sensitivity is low.