Lung Case Study

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Lung Case Study

Case History

This patient is a 41-year-old man who had a 1.5 cm large cell lung cancer resected from the left upper lobe 6-months prior. The patient's CT showed typical post-operative scarring (arrows) and no evidence of recurrent lung cancer.

PET Scan Results

The patient's PET scan showed a local recurrence on the lateral pleural surface of the left lung (small arrow). No additional cancer was detected.

PET Outcome

The patient underwent resection of his left pleural-based focus of locally recurrent lung cancer. He also received local radiation therapy.

Surgical changes can obscure CT detection of cancer recurrence. PET can visualize malignancy despite post-operative scarring. Early detection and treatment of recurrent cancer improved this patient's chances of disease-free survival.