The role of positron emission tomography with 18 F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose in respiratory oncology

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Abstract
In the past 5 yrs, positron emission tomography (PET) with 18 F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) has become an important imaging modality in lung cancer patients. At this time, the indication of FDG-PET as a complimentary tool to computed tomography in the diagnosis and staging of non-small cell lung cancer has gradually gained more widespread acceptance and also reimbursement in many European countries. This review focuses on the data of FDG-PET in the diagnosis of lung nodules and masses, and in locoregional and extrathoracic staging of non-small cell lung cancer. Emphasis is put on the potential clinical implementation of the currently available FDG-PET data. The use of FDG-PET in these indications now needs further validation in large-scale multicentre randomized studies, focusing mainly on treatment outcome parameters, survival and cost-efficacy. Interesting findings with 18 F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose-positron emission tomography have also been reported for the evaluation of response to radio- or chemotherapy, in radiotherapy planning, recurrence detection and assessment of prognosis. Finally, a whole new field of application of positron emission tomography in molecular biology, using new radiopharmaceuticals, is under extensive investigation.

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