title: Clinical Applications of PET-Computed Tomography in Planning Radiotherapy: General Principles and an Overview.
abstract: PET scans are becoming increasingly used in oncology and especially radiation oncology. While the potential and indicated uses continue to grow, so do the data and evidence to support the growing use. This article summarizes the physics behind PET-computed tomographic (CT) scans, how PET scans fit into the treatment paradigms for patients with cancer including staging, assessment of response, and identifying the prognostic features, with a special emphasis on the role of PET-CT scans in radiation therapy planning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology & Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Kubicek
authors.forename: Dwight E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Heron