@article{JGO5636,
author = {Vlad V. Simianu and Thomas K. Varghese Jr and Meghan R. Flanagan and David R. Flum and Veena Shankaran and Brant K. Oelschlager and Michael S. Mulligan and Douglas E. Wood and Carlos A. Pellegrini and Farhood Farjah},
title = {Positron emission tomography for initial staging of esophageal cancer among medicare beneficiaries},
journal = {Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology},
volume = {7},
number = {3},
year = {2015},
keywords = {},
abstract = {Background: The role of positron emission tomography (PET) in the initial staging of esophageal cancer is to detect occult metastases, but its ability to do so has not been evaluated at the population-level. In 2001, Medicare approved reimbursement of PET for esophageal cancer staging. We hypothesized rapid adoption of PET after 2001 and a coincident increase in the prevalence of stage IV disease.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study [1997-2009] was conducted of 12,870 Medicare beneficiaries with esophageal cancer using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER)-Medicare database.
Results: PET use increased from },
issn = {2219-679X}, url = {https://jgo.amegroups.org/article/view/5636}
}