PET-CT

Few advances in medicine have had more of an impact on modern health care than the invention of PET-CT studies of FDG in the living human body and experimental animals. Biochemistry has been superimposed on anatomy, which is a giant leap forward. The expertise required for the interpretation of CT must now be combined with the expert interpretation of the biochemical information of the FDG study. The idea that the interpretation of the images simply requires the superimposition of the two image modalities is simple is clearly not true. What is needed is a clear und- standing of the sites of metabolic activity revealed by FDG studies in normal persons, and its variability from person to person. For example, FDG accumulates in various structures in the head and neck,and in the ovaries and uterus of normal women during certain phases of the menstrual cycle. The case method of teaching has stood the test of time for more than a hundred years and is still valid as new modalities are developed and introduced into medical practice. The authors,both of whom have considerable experience in the performance and interpretation of PET-CT studies with FDG, have made an important contri- tion that will be of great value to nuclear medicine physicians,radiologists,oncologists, and other physicians with the responsibility of caring for patients with cancer. Capabilities and limitations are discussed in the context of speci?c problems and patients.

From the reviews: "The editors of this timely volume have got together a group of contributors and produced a highly educational resource for the practising radiologist. All types of cancer are covered, including excellent sections on the brain, gynaecological malignancies, oesophageal cancer, lung tumours etc. The production of the book is excellent with excellent layout and beautiful, high quality images throughout. The pearls and pitfalls sections in each case are particularly useful, as is the discussion. I have found reading this book an invaluable introduction to this new clinical tool. It should be required reading for all who are embarking on clinical practice in this area and also for others who are interested in its application in oncology. The textbook deserves to be a success and a standard introductory textbook in this field." (RAD Magazine, September, 2005) "This book … is extremely timely, given the great success and rapid diffusion of PET-CT. … The authors, supported by numerous qualified co-workers, have used their considerable experience in the performance and interpretation of PET-CT … . The entire field of application, from the brain to gynaecological pathology, is considered clearly and comprehensively. … this book will be of value not only to beginners and/or residents but also to experts … ." (U. P. Guerra and L. Mansi, European Journal for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Vol. 33, 2006) "This is an up to the minute text demonstrating state of the art dedicated PET-CT studies. … The book is extremely well presented. … There are 472 illustrations … . these figures are of an excellent standard and make this an enjoyable and valuable text. … The book is well indexed and easy to navigate. … The case study formula is well designed and makes this textbook a pleasurable book to ‘dip’ into … . this is a delightful book of PET-CT case studies." (Kevin Bradley, Neuroradiology, Vol. 47 (11), 2005) "The book is organized in a ‘case-based’ format with the intention of providing clinical examples of state-of-the-art positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging for all diagnostic PET practitioners (in radiology, nuclear medicine, and oncology), from the novice to the experienced reader. … The book is well written and well organized. … All practitioners, from novices to experts, would benefit from the variety of cases presented." (Suzanne Mastin, Radiology, Vol. 243 (3), 2007)