title: Predictors of initial 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography indication among patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the determinants of initial F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG)-PET indication following primary colorectal cancer diagnosis among patients who underwent surgery between January 2000 and December 2007 and who were observed at a single institution for at least 2 years after diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of the 530 patients who underwent colorectal cancer resection, 113 patients received at least one F-FDG-PET following diagnosis. Outcome variables included indication and time of the first F-FDG-PET following diagnosis. Potential predictors included disease-level and patient-level characteristics. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients diagnosed later in the study period and patients with higher-stage disease were more likely to receive their first F-FDG-PET for initial staging (P<0.001 and P=0.016, respectively). Patients with lower-stage disease were more likely to receive their initial F-FDG-PET for suspected recurrence on conventional imaging. When performed more than 2 years after diagnosis, F-FDG-PET was more likely to be ordered for suspected recurrence either on the basis of conventional imaging or on the basis of patient symptoms/tumor markers (P=0.003 and 0.031, respectively). F-FDG-PET demonstrated disease progression in at least 50% of patients referred for each indication (P=0.037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher utilization of F-FDG-PET may be appropriate among patients referred for a number of indications including: initial staging, particularly among those with higher-stage disease; suspected recurrence on conventional imaging among patients with lower-stage disease; and suspected recurrence more than 2 years after diagnosis. Further research is needed to verify these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. hanna.zafar@uphs.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Hanna M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zafar
authors.forename: Stacy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonaccorsi
authors.forename: Curtis P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Langlotz
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18