title: PET in clinical practice.
abstract: Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging tool that has expanded from its vital role in basic research into clinical medicine. This noninvasive diagnostic modality is used in cardiac perfusion and viability; in neurologic conditions such as epilepsy, dementia, and tumor; and in a wide range of common cancers to diagnose, stage, and monitor therapy. The importance of PET in clinical practice is growing rapidly, and the number of PET centers across the country is increasing. It is imperative, therefore, that physicians are familiar with PET, and know where this tool can be the most useful and cost-effective modality for patient management.
authors.affiliation: Metro Region P.E.T. Center, Woodburn Nuclear Medicine, Annandale, Virginia 22003, USA.
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Norby
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van Heertum
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baldwin
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003704:Dementia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends