title: PET/CT in oncology: integration into clinical management of lymphoma, melanoma, and gastrointestinal malignancies.
abstract: PET/CT is a new imaging technology that has already found a number of clinical applications in oncologic imaging. Widespread introduction into clinical practice started approximately 2.5 years ago. Consequently, the available data are largely preliminary. Nevertheless, it can already be stated that the synthesis of structural and metabolic information improves the accuracy of primary staging and the detection of recurrent disease and has the realistic potential to change patient management in 10 to 20% of cases. PET/CT fusion images can directly guide biopsies or surgical interventions. This article summarizes preliminary data of PET/CT studies and highlights potential clinical applications for PET/CT, with particular emphasis on lymphoma, melanoma and gastrointestinal tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine Service, and Gerschel PET Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA. schoders@mskcc.org
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schöder
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Henry W D
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D018511:Systems Integration; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18