[PET/CT tomography. Usefulness in oncology].
In order to have optimum results in oncological patients, precise evaluation, diagnosis and staging of the patient is necessary. Positron emission tomography (PET) yields a high negative predictive value through exploration of the entire body. It diagnoses the benign or malignant state of a neoplasm that has been detected by other imaging methods and establishes an extensive diagnosis previous to therapeutic treatment of a known cancer. It identifies residual tumor and changes produced after surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy and locates suspicious residual tumor clinically or by elevation of the tumor markers. It allows for a new extension study or re-staging after diagnosis of recurrence and permits early evaluation of response to a therapeutic regime and permits the search for a primary tumor in patients with metastasis of unknown origin. PET leads to a molecular functional imaging of cancer in the entire body.
Martínez-Villaseñor
David
D
Academia Mexicana de Cirugía, Bugambilias 28, Col. Brisas de Cuautla, 62757, Cuautla, Morelos, and Hospital ABC Observatorio, México. avicena@prodigy.net.mx
Gerson-Cwilich
Raquel
R
D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed