title: The role of hybrid SPECT-CT in oncology: current and emerging clinical applications.
abstract: Single photon emission computed tomography - computed tomography (SPECT-CT) is an emerging dual-modality imaging technique with many established and potential clinical applications in the field of oncology. To date, there has been a considerable emphasis on the benefits of integrated positron emission tomography - computed tomography (PET-CT) in oncology, but relatively little focus on the clinical utility of SPECT-CT. As with PET-CT, accurate co-registration of anatomical and functional data from a combined SPECT-CT camera often provides complementary diagnostic information. Both sensitivity (superior disease localization) and specificity (exclusion of false-positives due to physiological tracer uptake) are improved, and the functional significance of indeterminate lesions detected on cross-sectional imaging can be defined. This article will review the scope of hybrid SPECT-CT in oncology and illustrate both current and emerging clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: F U
authors.initials: FU
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Scarsbrook
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000295:instrumentation; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals