Evaluating the Benefit of 18F FDG PETCT Scans versus Regular CT in Follow-up Care for Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the follow-up care for patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer NSCLC. The study compares overall survival over three years between patients who receive follow-up surveillance using 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission TomographyComputerized Tomography 18F FDG PETCT and those who undergo conventional CT scan surveillance. This is to determine if the addition of 18F FDG PETCT scans improves early detection of cancer recurrence and impacts survival and quality of life. Participants are randomly assigned to two groups the intervention group receives usual care plus additional whole-body 18F FDG PETCT scans at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months during follow-up, while the control group receives regular follow-up with physical exams and CT scans at least every six months for two years, then yearly until three years. After the 36-month period, all patients continue usual care with CT scans. The PETCT scans follow a specific low-dose protocol covering the skull to the mid-femoral region. During the study, participants complete quality of life questionnaires at each visit and may optionally participate in interviews and blood sample collection to assess secondary outcomes. Researchers measure overall survival at three years, recurrence detection, event-free survival, cost-effectiveness, and health-related quality of life. The study involves monitoring medical resource use and patient experiences, with results analyzed using survival curves and statistical tests over the three-year follow-up period.

The Beneficial Value of PET/CT in the Follow-up of Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients