Abstract
Current response guidelines for the treatment of solid tumours are based on CT criteria. Over the last decades new techniques have emerged to evaluate cancer therapy. FDG-PET scanning is a more functional imaging technique, which can measure differences in metabolic activity. Although it has a low specificity, studies show that it can outperform classical CT scanning criteria. Especially in lung, breast and oesophageal cancer it can predict response earlier in the neo-adjuvant setting. This could reduce the use of ineffective cancer therapies, reducing costs and patient toxicity, and direct patients sooner towards effective therapy. The main problem with FDG-PET remains the difficulty in defining thresholds for response, as there is clearly a lack in large prospective randomized studies validating the use of FDG-PET in response guidelines.We give an overview of data on response prediction in solid tumours by the application of PET.
MeSH terms
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Breast Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
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Breast Neoplasms / therapy
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / diagnostic imaging
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / therapy
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Colorectal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
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Colorectal Neoplasms / therapy
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Combined Modality Therapy
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Esophageal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
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Esophageal Neoplasms / therapy
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Female
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Fluorodeoxyglucose F18*
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Head and Neck Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
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Head and Neck Neoplasms / therapy
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Humans
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Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
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Lung Neoplasms / therapy
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Mesothelioma / diagnostic imaging
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Mesothelioma / therapy
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Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
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Neoplasms / therapy*
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Positron-Emission Tomography*
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Prognosis
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Radiopharmaceuticals*
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Rectal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
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Rectal Neoplasms / therapy
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Reproducibility of Results
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Sensitivity and Specificity
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Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / diagnostic imaging
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Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / therapy
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Treatment Outcome
Substances
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Radiopharmaceuticals
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Fluorodeoxyglucose F18