The Proper Use of PET/CT in Tumoring Imaging.
10.5124/jkma.2004.47.9.863
- Author:
Mijin YUN
1
;
Jong Doo LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Radiology / Division of Nuclear Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
PET/CT;
CT;
PET;
FDG
- MeSH:
Early Diagnosis;
Emergencies;
Glucose;
Medical Oncology;
Metabolism;
Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography*;
Radiotherapy;
Recurrence;
Sensitivity and Specificity;
Whole Body Imaging
- From:Journal of the Korean Medical Association
2004;47(9):863-871
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PET using FDG has been proposed as a functional whole body imaging modality that images various types of malignancies with relatively high sensitivity and specificity in a reasonably short time. It depicts a lesion based on abnormal glucose metabolism whereas CT as a high-resolution anatomical imaging detects malignant process mostly based on altered anatomy. PET / CT combines the advantages of PET and CT, and has a great value in early detection of disease, accurate staging or restaging, early assessment of treatment response, decision on therapeutic plans, and rapid localization of recurrence. Exact anatomical localization of a lesion with increased FDG uptake by CT is considered to be the most important factor that improves the diagnostic accuracy of PET / CT. So far, limited studies have been reported using PET / CT in comparison with PET only and mainly proved additional value of PET / CT in malignant tumors in which conventional PET already had advantages over anatomical imaging. PET / CT appears to have a promising role in the field of radiotherapy planning. Another potential of PET / CT would be in the evaluation of tumors with low FDG uptake by way of CT or new PET tracers. PET / CT is in the stage of its early infancy and further studies remain to be performed to establish applications of PET / CT in clinical oncology. In this review, we will discuss the principle of PET, the background of the emergency of PET / CT, advantages, pitfalls, and debates of PET / CT along with clinical applications and future perspectives of thereof.
