Can PET/CT replace separate diagnostic CT for cancer imaging? Optimizing CT protocols for imaging cancers of the chest and abdomen.
Stage-adapted treatment in oncology relies on correct tumor staging for patients with malignant diseases. To ensure accurate assessment of the tumor stage in thoracic and abdominal diseases by PET/CT, both CT and PET need to be optimized. In this setting, different malignant diseases require customized imaging protocols. Although in the clinical setting of therapy assessment, PET/CT with integration of low-dose, nonenhanced CT may be sufficient, tumor staging may require a more sophisticated CT protocol. This review focuses on potential CT protocols for imaging cancers of the chest and abdomen. Examples of CT protocols are presented and discussed for non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and interventional liver therapy.
Kuehl
Hilmar
H
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
Veit
Patrick
P
Rosenbaum
Sandra J
SJ
Bockisch
Andreas
A
Antoch
Gerald
G
D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D051598:Whole Body Imaging / Q000379:methods
D003287:Contrast Media