Focal Hepatic Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake Mimics Liver Metastasis Following External Beam Radiation for Gastroesophageal Cancers: A Case and Review of the Literature.
Patients with locally advanced gastroesophageal cancers frequently undergo concurrent chemotherapy and radiation (CRT). 18-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography ((18)FDG-PET) in combination with computed tomography is used for disease staging and assessing response to therapy. (18)FDG-PET interpretation is subject to confounding influences including infectious/inflammatory conditions, serum glucose, and concurrent medications. Radiotherapy induces tissue damage, which may be associated with FDG-avidity; however, few reports have described the focal areas of hepatic uptake following concurrent chemoradiation (CRT). Distinguishing hepatic FDG uptake from disease progression represents an important clinical scenario. Here, we present two cases of unexpected FDG uptake in the liver after CRT and review the literature describing incidental liver uptake on FDG-PET.
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, USA.
Randy
R
Wei
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, USA.
Avinash
A
Chaurasia
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, USA.
Suhong
S
Yu
Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Orange, USA.
Chandana
C
Lall
The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Samuel J
SJ
Klempner
False-positive; gastroesophageal; liver; metastases; positron emission tomography-computed tomography; radiation