Early Assessment of the Added Value of FDG-PET/CT and MRI-DWI in Monitoring Treatment Response of Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

In an expert panel, the future values of PET/CT and MRI-DWI for early monitoring of treatment response in stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer patients were predicted. The clinical values of the two new imaging modalities were predicted relative to current practice: the use of CT alone. By means of multi-criteria decision analysis we showed the expected value of the imaging modalities in terms of clinical effectiveness, efficiency and user-friendliness. By means of a Monte Carlo simulation, we depicted the uncertainty in these values. The results show that even though CT is, in this stage, preferred by the experts, it can be worthwhile to invest in the further development and application of the two new imaging modalities considering their distinct advantages.