[Role of FDG PET-CT in cutaneous melanoma].
OBJECTIVE
The indications of FDG PET-CT are well established for some neoplasms, such as lung cancer and lymphoma. The role of FDG PET-CT for the management of cutaneous melanoma is less clear.


METHODS
We successively describe the substances and machines used with PET-CT, and review the French recommendations and the latest scientific articles to determine which patients could benefit from this examination.


RESULTS
PET-CT is not indicated for the diagnosis of the malignancy of a suspicious cutaneous lesion, or for initial regional node staging. PET-CT is not indicated for the initial staging of melanoma without node involvement. PET-CT could be proposed for the staging of thick melanoma with macroscopic involvement of the sentinel node. PET-CT is useful for distant staging. The sole curative treatment of melanoma being surgery, the most useful indications of PET-CT are preoperative staging of one (or more) nodal or distant metastases, whether histologically confirmed or not. Preoperative PET-CT can spare a patient with unknown metastases a useless surgery. PET-CT is not indicated for the staging of a patient with known inoperable metastatic disease. PET-CT is not indicated for assessing response to chemotherapy, except in clinical trials.
Nicol
I
I
Service de dermatologie, hôpital Sainte-Marguerite, Marseille, France.
Chuto
G
G
Gaudy-Marqueste
C
C
Brenot-Rossi
I
I
Grob
J-J
JJ
Richard
M-A
MA
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18