Clinical Applications of PET

Oncology

Brain Tumor

• differentiate recurrent tumor from radiation necrosis
• Differentiate primary CNS lymphoma from toxoplasmosis
• exclude metastatic disease to brain

Breast Tumor

• identify involved axillary nodes or distant metastatic disease
• exclude local recurrence of disease
• evaluate response to treatment

Colorectal Cancer

• detect locally recurrent or distant metastatic disease in patients with elevated CEA who may be candidates for surgical re-excision
• rule out distant metastases for preoperative evaluation

Head & Neck Cancer

• determine the extent of local, regional, and distant disease
• detect recurrent/residual tumor following definitive therapy

Lung Cancer

• distinguish malignant from benign pulmonary nodules
• stage for mediastinal or distant metastatic disease
• use as part of radiotherapy treatment planning
• detect recurrent/residual tumor following definitive therapy

Lymphoma

• determine extent of disease and measure treatment response

Melanoma

• identify extent of local and regional disease spread in patients with high risk melanoma (e.g., primary tumor > 4mm), or in suspected recurrence

Musculoskeletal Tumors

• evaluate local extent of disease and exclude distant metastases
• measure treatment response and exclude recurrent/residual tumore following definitive therapy

Ovarian Cancer

• detect recurrent/residual tumor prior to surgical exploration or additional chemotherapy

Pancreatic Cancer

• differentiation of benign processes such as pancreatitis, mucinous cyst adenoma, and pseudocyst from malignant disease
• rule out distant metastases for preoperative evaluation

Thyroid Cancer

• detect metastatic or locally recurrent disease in patients with elevated thyroglobulin after definitive initial treatment and negative l-131 examination

Neurology

Dementia

• differentiate Alzheimer's Disease from multi-infarct dementia

Epilepsy

• localize the seizure focus in patients with intractable complex seizure disorders

Stroke

• evaluate extent of disease and recovery following therapy

Cardiology

Myocardial Viability

• distinguish viable myocardium from infarcted tissue in patients with suspected hibernating or stunned myocardium

Coronary Artery Disease

• identify ischemic disease

Preoperative Prognostic Assessment

• evaluate extent of disease in patients being considered for interventional revascularization or transplantation procedures