PET imaging in assessing gastrointestinal tumors.
The clinical usefulness of FDG-PET imaging is now firmly established in various situations, such as the preoperative staging of esophageal cancer and recurrent colorectal carcinoma and the detection and staging of recurrent colorectal cancer when there is a clinical or biologic suspicion with inconclusive conventional findings. Encouraging results were obtained in the evaluation of the therapeutic response of various gastrointestinal malignancies, either during the treatment or after its completion. There is no firm consensus regarding its role in pancreatic cancer, either proved or suspected, but it may be valuable in selected clinical situations. Its role seems fairly limited in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, although PET findings may have prognostic implications. Evaluation of cholangiocarcinoma is an emerging indication, albeit with limited data to date. Finally, PET/CT is very likely to enhance the role of FDG imaging further in the work-up of patients with gastrointestinal tumors.
Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Liège, Campus Universitaire du Sart Tilman B35, 4000 Liège, Belgium. rhustinx@chu.ulg.ac.be
Roland
R
Hustinx
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18