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Metastatic Disease

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PET-CT and PET-MRI in Oncology

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Diagn Imaging))

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Abstract

This chapter reviews PET/PET identification of metastatic disease, the main cause of cancer deaths. More than one‐third of newly diagnosed cancer patients have metastases detectable by PET/CT. There are three major pathways by which tumor cells disseminate: blood borne, lymphatic spread, and by seeding body cavities. The primary tumor location and histology in large part determines the most common route and frequency of metastasis. Increased FDG uptake in metastases permits identification on PET/CT. Cancer of unknown primary site is a relatively common clinical entity, resulting from a wide variety of primary sites. PET/CT identification of the primary tumor allows for focused therapy and potentially improved survival.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Patrick J. Peller

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  1. Patrick J. Peller
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Correspondence to Patrick J. Peller .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Rochester, 55901, Minnesota, USA

    Patrick Peller

  2. , Division of Neuroradiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, 02493, Massachusetts, USA

    Rathan Subramaniam

  3. Dept. Radiology, Boston University Medical Center, E. Newton St. 88, Boston, 02118, Massachusetts, USA

    Ali Guermazi

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Peller, P.J. (2012). Metastatic Disease. In: Peller, P., Subramaniam, R., Guermazi, A. (eds) PET-CT and PET-MRI in Oncology. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2012_622

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2012_622

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-01138-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-01139-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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