News
Predicting mesothelioma prognosis with PET/CT
There is new evidence that the rate at which mesothelioma tumors metabolize glucose could provide significant prognostic information for mesothelioma patients and their doctors.
Pleural mesothelioma is an especially fast-growing asbestos-linked malignancy. It typically carries a grim prognosis but several factors can impact mesothelioma survival, including tumor characteristics that can only be measured using advanced PET/CT imaging. Now, researchers in Japan say one of those characteristics, known as total lesion glycolysis (TLG), is especially valuable for determining mesothelioma prognosis. Read more.
FDG-PET imaging reveals brain region that links stress and heart disease
In new research led by Massachusetts General Hospital and Mount Sinai, PET/CT imaging revealed that activity in a stress-sensitive structure within the brain is linked to risk of cardiovascular disease.
Although the connection between stress and heart disease has been known for some time because of animal studies, the mechanism behind it wasn’t clear. This is the first time the region of the brain that connects stress to the risk of heart attack and stroke has been identified in animal models and humans. Read more.
Combined PET-MR principles, strengths and weaknesses
The combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a unique clinical imaging tool with significant applications in biomedical research in small animals. PET/MRI systems for use in humans were first introduced in the year 2010.
Other hybrid imaging systems such as CT/PET and SPECT/CT have been widely accepted in clinical practice in the past decade. PET/MR technology has revolutionized clinical imaging in small animals and offers high performance functional imaging solutions. Some medical imaging experts foresee PET/MRI completely replacing PET/CT in the future. Read more.
Laryngeal sarcoidosis diagnosed by PET/CT through inflammatory activity
A new study revealed that imaging techniques such as positron-emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) can detect laryngeal inflammation in sarcoidosis patients, allowing the diagnosis of laryngeal sarcoidosis. Read more.
Targeting estrogen and HER2 receptors through PET imaging
FDG-PET is currently one of the only molecular imaging techniques used in oncology — but that may soon change.
New PET probes being tested have shown promise, especially in breast cancer clinical trials. Experts at the Abramson Cancer Center and University of Pennsylvania believe that they can make it easier to diagnose, monitor and treat patients. Read more.