title: 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in evaluating treatment response to imatinib or other drugs in gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To systematically review the role of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in evaluating treatment response to imatinib or other drugs in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive literature search of published studies through February 2011 in PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 19 studies including 628 patients with GIST. Main findings of included studies are presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (18)F-FDG PET has a significant value in assessing treatment response to imatinib or other drugs in GIST patients. (18)F-FDG PET allows an early assessment of treatment response and is a strong predictor of clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. giorgiomednuc@libero.it
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Treglia
authors.forename: Paoletta
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mirk
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stefanelli
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rufini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonomo
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D008297:Male; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate