Accuracy of nodal staging by 18F-FDG-PET/CT in limited disease small-cell lung cancer.

FDG-PET/CT is a valuable tool for the detection of distant metastases, but in mediastinal staging of SCLC some limitations might remain. Invasive methods remain the gold standard. Therefore, the mediastinal lymph nodal status of patients with SCLC screened for multimodal treatment should be further evaluated by additional invasive techniques to verify the exact N-staging and to optimize treatment stratification.