The use of PET-CT in the assessment of patients with colorectal carcinoma.
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Published Version
Date
2011-07
Authors
O'Connor, Owen J.
McDermott, S.
Slattery, J.
Sahani, D.
Blake, M. A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Published Version
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer, accounting for 53,219 deaths in 2007 and an estimated 146,970 new cases in the USA during 2009. The combination of FDG PET and CT has proven to be of great benefit for the assessment of colorectal cancer. This is most evident in the detection of occult metastases, particularly intra- or extrahepatic sites of disease, that would preclude a curative procedure or in the detection of local recurrence. FDG PET is generally not used for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer although there are circumstances where PET-CT may make the initial diagnosis, particularly with its more widespread use. In addition, precancerous adenomatous polyps can also be detected incidentally on whole-body images performed for other indications; sensitivity increases with increasing polyp size. False-negative FDG PET findings have been reported with mucinous adenocarcinoma, and false-positive findings have been reported due to inflammatory conditions such as diverticulitis, colitis, and postoperative scarring. Therefore, detailed evaluation of the CT component of a PET/CT exam, including assessment of the entire colon, is essential.
Description
Keywords
Colorectal cancer , Occult metastases , PET-CT , False-negative
Citation
O'Connor, O. J. , McDermott, S., Slattery, J., Sahani, D. and Blake M. A. (2011) 'The use of PET-CT in the assessment of patients with colorectal carcinoma', International Journal of Surgical Oncology, 846512. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/846512