Detection of bone metastases in cancer-patients by F-18-fluoride and F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography

The use of positron emission tomography (PET) in clinical oncology continue s to increase and although there is now a large literature on the use of PE T with various tracers in a wide variety of cancers, there has previously b een relatively little use specifically in the evaluation of skeletal metast ases. However, a number of reports on PET in this area of oncology are now becoming available. The potential advantages of PET over conventional nucle ar medicine techniques, including improved spatial resolution, absolute qua ntitation and the acquisition of tomographic studies as a routine, are also of potential benefit in this area. The bone agent, F-18-fluoride and the t umour agent F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose, have been used to evaluate both benign and malignant skeletal disorders qualitatively and quantitatively and the current knowledge with respect to the skeleton in cancer patients is summar ised in this article.