Purpose
We aimed at investigating whether early metabolic response to corticosteroid therapy may be used as a diagnostic tool to discriminate between cancer and sarcoidosis, a well-known cause of ...false-positive 2-deoxy-2-F-18fluoro-
d
-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) findings in oncology.
Procedure
Two cancer patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis or sarcoid-like reaction had multiple thoracic FDG foci. After infectious disease had been excluded, patients received oral corticosteroids for 16 and 14 days, respectively, and underwent posttherapeutic FDG-PET examination.
Results
Posttreatment PET revealed a complete metabolic response in both patients, and clinical and imaging follow-up showed no sign of cancer progression.
Conclusion
Early metabolic response to systemic corticosteroid treatment may be used as a tool in the establishment of final diagnosis when sarcoidosis is suspected in a cancer patient and could be capable of differentiating cancer from sarcoidosis in the case of coexisting diseases.
During the past few years, medical treatments of cancer have improved thanks to the discovery of targeted therapies. These therapies are today widely used in cancer treatment. The mechanism of action ...of targeted therapies and the adverse effects they induce are different from the classic chemotherapies, and require a specific management. Most of these drugs are taken at home and orally, and as a consequence, general practitioners should be able to manage these side effects. The most current toxicities in general medicine are fatigue, high blood pressure, dermatologic, gastrointestinal and metabolic side effects. These effects, often moderate are frequent and diverse, and can impact the patient's quality of life and reduce treatment compliance. Management of these toxicities should then be well known by general practitioners in order to optimize care and improve patient wellness.
![Early 2′-Deoxy-2′-[18F]Fluo...](http://api.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/image/issn/XR4PS5YY4K/1536-1632/small "Early 2′-Deoxy-2′-[18F]Fluoro-d-Glucose PET Metabolic Response after Corticosteroid Therapy to Differentiate Cancer from Sarcoidosis and Sarcoid-like Lesions")
