title: PET and brain tumor image fusion.
abstract: PET imaging with (18)F-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG-PET) is useful both for the initial evaluation of brain tumors and for follow up after therapy. Over 400 FDG-PET studies are performed at Duke University Medical Center annually for brain tumors. Image registration of FDG-PET data with anatomic imaging (MRI) is essential to accurately localize the abnormality in the brain because of the metabolic heterogeneity of brain tumors and the high background metabolism of normal cerebral cortex. A practical semi-automated image registration technique has been developed which is used routinely for all brain tumor patients. In the future, image registration will likely become increasingly important for FDG and other PET tracers used for brain tumor imaging, and the combined functional/anatomic information will be utilized directly for therapeutic radiation and surgical treatment planning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine Division, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. wong0015@mc.duke.edu
authors.forename: Terence Z
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Timothy G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Turkington
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hawk
authors.forename: R Edward
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Coleman
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18