[Early detection with FDG-PET of colonic tumors in patients with another known tumor].
Patients with known tumors can have other tumors in unexpected places, the so-called synchronic or second primary cancers. In these patients, whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to study known tumors can identify other tumors that would escape notice if only the sites of known tumors were investigated. We present 3 patients in whom whole-body FDG-PET was requested to study known tumors: 2 lung cancers and one melanoma. FDG-PET localized the known lesions and revealed hypermetabolic uptake in the abdomen in all 3 patients. Endoscopic polypectomy and pathologic analysis were performed, revealing 2 colon cancers and a tubular adenoma with a high degree of focal atypia. Whole body FDG-PET is a highly useful technique in the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer, which in turn allows complete cure of patients with this disease.
Gil Martínez
E M
EM
Centro PET Cartuja, Sevilla, Spain. edugilb@supercable.es
Ramírez López
M A
MA
Moya García
F
F
González Cabezas
P
P
de la Riva Pérez
P
P
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000368:Aged; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging