title: [PET and malignant cerebral tumors].
abstract: Normal biodistribution of FDG includes intense physiologic uptake in the brain, which consumes glucose. The high background therefore makes it difficult to detect the foci taking up glucose, which correspond to malignant lesions. FDG PET is nevertheless clinically useful for detecting high-grade gliomas, cerebral lymphomas and, in some cases, unexpected brain metastases in whole-body PET examinations. As an adjunct to CT and MRI, FDG-PET can make stereotactic radiosurgery more precise in targeting primary or secondary brain cancers and can differentiate necrotic fibrosis from viable cancer tissue during follow-up in cases of abnormal or equivocal MRI results. When available, methionine-(11C) PET delineates low grade gliomas accurately. Several fluorine (18F)-labeled radiopharmaceuticals have been proposed in this setting, with FET and FDOPA apparently the most effective. Four original clinical cases illustrating performances of FET and FDOPA PET in this setting are presented.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Nucléaire, AP-HP Hôpital Tenon, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris. jean-noel.talbot@tnn.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Noël
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.forename: Khaldoun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kerrou
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gault
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gutman
authors.forename: Dany
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grahek
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Touboul
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlienger
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montravers
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002794:Choline; D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005910:Glioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008715:Methionine; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
chemical_list: D015224:Dideoxynucleosides; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; C043437:fluorodopa F 18; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D008715:Methionine; D002794:Choline; C002854:alovudine