title: [Importance of FDG-PET/CT for surgery of rectal cancer].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Examinations using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) are becoming increasingly more important in clinical practice for the diagnosis and therapy of cancer patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  What role does FDG-PET/CT examination play in the diagnosis and therapy of rectal cancer?
  
  
  RESULTS
  The FDG-PET/CT method is especially valuable during postoperative care when a recurrence is suspected. Especially when tumor marker levels rise with no other symptoms, FDG-PET/CT can be used to evaluate unclear lesions in the liver and unclear tissue formations at the surgery site and distinguish between scar tissue and recurring tumors. Currently, there is increasing evidence that a survival prognosis may be possible based on the tracer uptake of FDG-PET/CT. There is also a great interest in the possibility of evaluating the success of neoadjuvant therapy with FDG-PET/CT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite some limitations FDG-PET/CT plays a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with rectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral-, Gefäß- und Kinderchirurgie, Universitätsklinik Würzburg, Oberdürrbacherstr. 2, 97080, Würzburg, Deutschland, wiegering_a@ukw.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiegering
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bluemel
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: C-T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Germer
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18