Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is used commonly in the diagnosis of suspected lung cancer. Computed bioconductance (CB) being investigated as a non-invasive way to predict whether an suspicious abnormality in the lung is benign or malignant. In this study, researches found that CB combined with PET before biopsy of suspicious lesions could improve diagnostic effectiveness of potentially cancerous lesions detected by CT scan.

In this prospective analysis, researchers found CB results combined with PET improved the ability to distinguish malignant from benign conditions compared with PET alone.

"In China, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality and causes huge health burdens and expense. Adding CB measurement to standard PET scanning could prove to be a useful, non-invasive diagnostic tool for aiding diagnosis of patients with lung cancer" said Dr. Dawei Yang, lead author, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

Further study results will be shared at Chest World Congress 2016. The study abstract can be viewed on the journal Chest website.

Chest World Congress 2016, a global event connecting clinicians from around the world specializing in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine will be held April 15 to 17, 2016, in Shanghai, China, with the support of the Chinese Thoracic Society.

Chest, publisher of the journal Chest, is the global leader in advancing best patient outcomes through innovative chest medicine education, clinical research, and team-based care. Its mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000 members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.