Oncologic 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography: What All Physicians Need to Know

Jaime L Montilla-Soler; Rikesh J Makanji; Bruce J Barron

doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.12.006

Oncologic ¹⁸F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography: What All Physicians Need to Know

Am J Med. 2018 Apr;131(4):357-364. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.12.006. Epub 2017 Dec 21.

Authors

Jaime L Montilla-Soler¹, Rikesh J Makanji², Bruce J Barron³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Fla. Electronic address: montillaj@aol.com.
² Department of Radiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Fla.
³ Department of Radiology, Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, Ga.

PMID: 29274757
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.12.006

Abstract

Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) hybrid examinations (PET/computed tomography, PET/magnetic resonance imaging) have become the most common PET imaging tools in the evaluation of the oncologic patient. Therefore it is of paramount importance that physicians who take care of oncology patients in any capacity are familiar with the basics of when these examinations are indicated, know how to best prepare the patients, and understand the benefits and limitations of the procedure. Additionally, it is important to understand which medical conditions and medications need to be controlled to maintain the diagnostic accuracy of these tests. In this article we aim to explain what ¹⁸F-FDG is, how to best prepare our patients, what PET is, and how these examinations are interpreted. Finally, we discuss some of the limitations of these examinations.

Keywords: FDG; Oncologic Imaging; PET; PET Imaging; PET/CT; Patient Preparation.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
Humans
Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / methods*
Radiopharmaceuticals

Substances

Radiopharmaceuticals
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18