FDG PET and Lymphoma

Diagnostic tools, such as FDG PET, play an important role in determining treatments for cancer patients. FDG is the abbreviation for fluorodeoxyglucose; PET is the acronym for positron emission tomography. The use of imaging scans such as this one, assist the doctor or surgeon in determining the details of the progression of the disease.

Identification

• According to RadioGraphics, a journal dedicated to continuing education in the field of radiology, 8 percent of all malignancies in the United States are lyphomas---cancers of the lymph glands. Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are both malignant cancers, but the majority of lympyhomas are non-Hodgkin's in nature.

Tests and Treatments

• FDG PET is an imaging scan used to evaluate disease progression in lymphoma patients. According to the Mayo Clinic, treatment is generally a combination of chemotherapy and radiation procedures, and possibly bone marrow replacement or stem cell therapy.

Considerations

• RadioGraphics states that FDG PET is a beneficial tool, due to the fact that unlike traditional magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, this procedure can distinguish an active tumor from associate findings such as dead tissue. This enables oncologists to obtain a clearer picture of the progression or remission of the disease. However, the scan does not identify microscopic cancer cells in surrounding tissues or organs.