title: Application of metabolic PET imaging in radiation oncology.
abstract: Positron emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive imaging technique that provides functional or metabolic assessment of normal tissue or disease conditions and is playing an increasing role in cancer radiotherapy planning. (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose PET imaging (FDG-PET) is widely used in the clinic for tumor imaging due to increased glucose metabolism in most types of tumors; its role in radiotherapy management of various cancers is reviewed. In addition, other metabolic PET imaging agents at various stages of preclinical and clinical development are reviewed. These agents include radiolabeled amino acids such as methionine for detecting increased protein synthesis, radiolabeled choline for detecting increased membrane lipid synthesis, and radiolabeled acetate for detecting increased cytoplasmic lipid synthesis. The amino acid analogs choline and acetate are often more specific to tumor cells than FDG, so they may play an important role in differentiating cancers from benign conditions and in the diagnosis of cancers with either low FDG uptake or high background FDG uptake. PET imaging with FDG and other metabolic PET imaging agents is playing an increasing role in complementary radiotherapy planning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Aizhi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Hui-Kuo G
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Hyunsuk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shim
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002794:Choline / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009928:Organ Specificity; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D008715:Methionine; D005947:Glucose; D002794:Choline