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A. Ba-Ssalamah et al.

Fig. 7 FDG-PET/CT of a
patient with oesophageal
cancer in axial and coronal
reformations. The area of the
untreated tumour shows
intense FDG uptake (a, b,
arrows). After treatment no
FDG uptake is appreciated
(c, d, arrows).
Histopathological work-up
after resection confirmed
no viable tumour tissue

M Staging. Hematogenous metastases from oesophageal carcinoma most commonly involve the liver
because the oesophagus is drained by the portal vein
(Fig. 8). Other less common sites of hematogenous
spread include the lungs, adrenal glands, kidneys, bones,
and brain. Lymph node involvement outside a perioesophageal location is considered M1 disease (Nomura

et al. 2012). Advanced distal cancers can develop

peritoneal metastases (Fig. 9).
FDG-PET is most helpful in distinguishing
potentially resectable, locally advanced disease (T3-4,
N0, M0) from distant disease (M1). In prospective
studies M1 disease was detected by FDG-PET and
missed by CT (with or without EUS) in 57 % of