title: Positron emission tomography/computerized tomography functional imaging of esophageal and colorectal cancer.
abstract: Positron Emission Tomography/Computerized Emission Tomography (PET/CT) creates fusion images which are a combination of tissue function (PET) and anatomy (CT). PET/CT imaging for esophageal and colorectal cancers improves staging, detection of recurrence, and treatment monitoring. Both tumor types are highly metabolically active in the untreated state, and the glucose analog, 2-[18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glcuose, (FDG), is widely useful as a PET imaging tracer for these malignancies. For esophageal and colorectal malignancies, diagnostic imaging sensitivity and specificity are greater than 90%. For esophageal tumors, PET imaging is standard of care for staging of locally advanced tumor. Fifteen to 20% of patients will have other wise occult metastatic sites detected by PET imaging at initial staging. Progression free survival and survival are correlated with the magnitude of reduction in PET-FDG measured metabolic activity post-treatment. For colorectal cancers, PET-FDG is standard of care to detect recurrence, and to monitor treatment response. The addition of CT to the PET imaging, causes a significant reduction in uncertainty of image interpretation and improves the distinction between benign and malignant causes for FDG-PET positive sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schoder
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18