Background: [18F]FDG imaging on total-body PET/CT (TB PET/CT) scanners, with improved sensitivity, offers new potentials for cancer diagnosis, staging, and radiation treatment planning. This consensus provides the protocols for clinical practices with a goal of paving the way for future studies with the total-body scanners in oncological [18F]FDG TB PET/CT imaging.
Methods: The consensus was summarized based on the published guidelines and peer-reviewed articles of TB PET/CT in the literature, along with the opinions of the experts from major research institutions with a total of 40,000 cases performed on the TB PET/CT scanners.
Results: This consensus describes the protocols for routine and dynamic [18F]FDG TB PET/CT scanning focusing on the reduction of imaging acquisition time and FDG injected activity, which may serve as a reference for research and clinic oncological PET/CT studies.
Conclusion: This expert consensus focuses on the reduction of acquisition time and FDG injected activity with a TB PET/CT scanner, which may improve the patient throughput or reduce the radiation exposure in daily clinical oncologic imaging.
Key points: • [18F]FDG-imaging protocols for oncological total-body PET/CT with reduced acquisition time or with different FDG activity levels have been summarized from multicenter studies. • Total-body PET/CT provides better image quality and improved diagnostic insights. • Clinical workflow and patient management have been improved.
Keywords: Consensus; Oncology; Total-body PET/CT; [18F]FDG.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.