The role of 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in the management of patients with colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
In patients with colorectal cancer an accurate diagnostic work-up is mandatory in order to perform the most specific treatment. At this moment 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is considered an accurate imaging technique in staging/restaging several malignancies. The aim of this paper is to review the scientific literature available about the role of FDG-PET in the management of patients with colorectal cancer.


METHODS
An overview on Medline of scientific literature concerning FDG-PET and colorectal cancer was performed. The most relevant studies are reported. Advantages, limitations and new chances in using FDG-PET in these subsets of patients are summarized.


RESULTS
FDG-PET is a useful tool in the evaluation of colorectal cancer. In comparison to conventional imaging technique, FDG-PET has an additional diagnostic value because it allows to metabolically characterize undetermined lesions suspected for recurrence of disease, to perform a complete pre-surgical staging and to identify occult metastatic disease. In clinical practice its use leads to a change in therapeutic choices in a high percentage of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
FDG-PET should be considered an essential diagnostic tool in the management of patients with colorectal cancer, especially in recurrent disease evaluation.
Pelosi
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Centro PET, IRMET s.p.a., Torino, Italy. etpelosi@virgilio.it
Deandreis
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D
D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18