Whole-body FDG-PET imaging in the management of patients with cancer

Abstract

Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging is increasingly used for the management of patients with cancer. The technique is now well accepted by most physicians as an effective complement to the existing imaging modalities. For many malignancies, PET achieves high sensitivity and specificity. The critical role of this powerful technique is realized increasingly in the day-to-day practice of oncology. This is particularly true for the management of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The contribution of PET for the selection of patients eligible for curative treatments in this setting is well established. Convincing data also exist to support the use of PET for evaluating patients with recurrent colorectal carcinoma, for staging and restaging lymphomas, and for diagnosing recurrent thyroid carcinoma in the presence of elevated thyroglobulin and negative 131I scans. Other indications include staging of various recurrent malignancies, such as breast cancer, melanoma, and head and neck and gynecologic carcinomas. Existing data are limited for the determination of the impact of PET in certain malignancies, and further studies, which should include outcome information, will allow clarification of the role of this modality for such indications. Despite the small number of studies specifically designed to assess changes in management plans for some malignancies after performing PET the overall favorable results are encouraging enough at this time to include this modality as an essential element of the practice of modern oncology. Finally, the evolving role of PET imaging as a predictor of response after local or systemic treatment may add a major dimension to the application of this novel technique.