Imaging In Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Pet/Ct

In the last two decades, the development of Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and then PET with Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imaging, has had a large impact on the management of a number of cancer types. PET/CT imaging benefits from the possibility of obtaining both structural (CT) and functional (PET) cancer information at the same time. PET obtains images of the biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals that can be designed to target different biological processes. In current clinical cancer imaging, most PET imaging studies are performed using an analog of glucose, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), labeled with the radioactive Fluorine-18. Imaging with FDG is particularly useful because following malignant transformation, various tumors are characterized by increased glucose utilization that is reflected by increased uptake and accumulation of FDG. In oncology, PET imaging with FDG often provides more sensitive and more specific information about the extent of disease than morphologic/anatomic imaging alone. PET also offers an earlier and often better assessment of response to treatment and an overall better accuracy to restage disease after completion of a treatment course. This in turns results in an overall improved prognostic evaluation during and after treatment. Although the role of PET/CT is limited in patients with HCC, the current status of this imaging technology is reviewed.