Johns Hopkins Researchers Study Nearly 2,000 Cancer Patients and Detect Unexpected, Additional MalignanciesMay 27, 2005RESTON, Va.-A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Md., reports that whole-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans may help physicians identify new, unexpected malignant cancerous tumors in patients, according to an article in the May issue of the Society of Nuclear Medicine's Journal of Nuclear Medicine. "PET/CT can help find additional lesions in patients known to have cancer," said SNM member Richard L. Wahl, M.D., director of nuclear medicine/PET at the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science. PET/CT scans from nearly 2,000 cancer patients over a two-year period were evaluated retrospectively, explained Wahl, who was one of the first in the world and the first in this country to prove that PET could accurately diagnose breast cancer, melanoma and ovarian cancer and that it was superior to CT in staging lung cancer. Wahl explained that in patients with known cancer, work-ups focus on a patient's primary disease and incidental coexistence of another primary malignant lesion can be missed. "Such newly identified lesions are often of early stage and have a better likelihood of being cured if treated promptly and aggressively," indicated Wahl, the senior author who co-wrote the JNM article, "Detection of Unexpected Additional Primary Malignancies With PET/CT," with SNM members Takayoshi Ishimori, M.D., Ph.D. (lead author), and Pavni V. Patel, M.D. Results of modern techniques such as PET/CT can be "potentially medically significant and relevant," said Wahl. PET is a powerful medical imaging modality that noninvasively traces molecular and physiologic processes in the body. Currently, the most common use of PET is for whole-body oncologic imaging for diagnosis, staging, restaging and measuring early therapy responses. CT is an X-ray test that generates a detailed view of the anatomy or structure of organs and tissues in the body. Combining PET with CT provides images showing function (PET) and anatomy (CT) and a merged or "fused" picture of the body's metabolism and structure. Society of Nuclear Medicine |
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| Related Pet/ct Current Events and Pet/ct News Articles Scripps research scientists find new link between insulin and core body temperature A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a direct link between insulin-a hormone long associated with metabolism and metabolic disorders such as diabetes-and core body temperature. Combination of PET/CT tests can expedite diagnosis of lung cancer in a fast-track setting Research published in the October 2009 issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology has found an effective combination of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) (PET/CT) tests to diagnose lung cancer in a "fast-tracked" outpatient setting. PET/CT scans may help detect recurring prostate cancer earlier A new study published in the September issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine shows that positron emission tomography (PET)/computer tomography (CT) scans with the imaging agent choline could detect recurring prostate cancer sooner than conventional imaging technologies in some patients who have had their prostates surgically removed. Hybrid Scanner Brings Molecular Functioning to the Forefront A major barrier to developing a hybrid positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system could be removed by using a novel approach for reconstructing data. MRI and PET/CT Improve Chances for Optimal Treatment and Minimal Complications in Cervical Cancer Patients Pretreatment MRI and PET/CT for cervical cancer may direct more women to optimal therapy choices and spare many women potential long-term morbidity and complications of trimodality therapy (surgery followed by chemoradiation), according to a study performed at the Institute for Technology Assessment in Boston, MA. PET/CT May Improve Prognosis for Patients With Inflammatory Breast Cancer In the largest study to date to evaluate fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) in the initial staging of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), researchers were able to identify the precise location and extent of metastasis (spread of disease), offering the potential for a better prognosis for patients with this rare, but aggressive form of breast cancer. Molecular imaging technology used in gastric cancer Modern cancer care is critically dependent on imaging technologies, which are used to detect early tumors and guide their therapy or surgery. Molecular imaging technologies provide information about the functional or metabolic characteristics of malignancies, tumor stage and therapeutical response, and tumor recurrence; whereas conventional imaging technologies predominantly assess the tumor's anatomical or morphologic features including its size, density, shape, etc. PET/CT scan could be valuable noninvasive tool for determining stages of ovarian cancer Combined positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) scanning of patients in the early stages of ovarian cancer can enable physicians to determine whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes without having to perform surgery. New possibilities for breast cancer treatment on the horizon he first patient scans from a custom-built scanner combining positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) technologies indicate that these scans could significantly improve breast cancer imaging capabilities and lead to more targeted treatment options, according to researchers at SNM's 55th Annual Meeting. Scans spot hidden tumors in rare cancer syndrome Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report that full-body PET/CT scanning detected unsuspected, treatable tumors in 3 of 15 patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), a rare genetic cancer syndrome for which no screening tests have been recommended. More Pet/ct Current Events and Pet/ct News Articles |
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