The Role of Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomographic (PET/CT) Imaging for Radiation Therapy Planning: A Literature Review

Abba Mallum; Thokozani Mkhize; John M Akudugu; Wilfred Ngwa; Mariza Vorster

doi:10.3390/diagnostics13010053

The Role of Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomographic (PET/CT) Imaging for Radiation Therapy Planning: A Literature Review

Diagnostics (Basel). 2022 Dec 24;13(1):53. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13010053.

Authors

Abba Mallum^{1

2

3}, Thokozani Mkhize^{4

5}, John M Akudugu⁶, Wilfred Ngwa^{7

8}, Mariza Vorster^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa.
² Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Durban 4091, South Africa.
³ University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri 600104, Nigeria.
⁴ Department of Nuclear Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa.
⁵ Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inkosi Albert Central Hospital, Durban 4091, South Africa.
⁶ Division of Radiobiology, Department of Medical Imaging and Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.
⁷ School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
⁸ Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farmer Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Abstract

PET/CT is revolutionising radiotherapy treatment planning in many cancer sites. While its utility has been confirmed in some cancer sites, and is used in routine clinical practice, it is still at an experimental stage in many other cancer sites. This review discusses the utility of PET/CT in cancer sites where the role of PET/CT has been established in cases such as head and neck, cervix, brain, and lung cancers, as well as cancer sites where the role of PET/CT is still under investigation such as uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Finally, the review touches on PET/CT utilisation in Africa.

Keywords: PET/CT treatment planning system; radiotherapy.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.