Use of PET for monitoring cancer therapy and for predicting outcome.
PET with the glucose analog (18)F-FDG is increasingly used to monitor tumor response in patients undergoing chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy. Numerous studies have shown that (18)F-FDG PET is an accurate test for differentiating residual viable tumor tissue from therapy-induced fibrosis. Furthermore, quantitative assessment of therapy-induced changes in tumor (18)F-FDG uptake may allow the prediction of tumor response and patient outcome very early in the course of therapy. Treatment may be adjusted according to the chemosensitivity and radiosensitivity of the tumor tissue in an individual patient. Thus, (18)F-FDG PET has an enormous potential to reduce the side effects and costs of ineffective therapy. This review focuses on the practical aspects of (18)F-FDG PET for treatment monitoring and on how to perform a quantitative assessment of tumor (18)F-FDG uptake in clinical studies.
Weber
Wolfgang A
WA
Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Ahmanson Biological Imaging Center, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6942, USA. wweber@mednet.ucla.edu
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18