PET-FDG imaging
DEFDG-PET-Bildgebung
PET-FDG imaging maps where your body uses glucose. It uses a radioactive sugar tracer (18F-fluorodeoxyglucose), usually paired with a low-dose CT for anatomy (PET/CT). The radiation dose is roughly 5 to 10 mSv. Its established uses are mostly in cancer: staging and tracking response in lymphoma, lung, head-and-neck, esophageal, colorectal, melanoma, and more, plus finding recurrence. It also helps spot cardiac sarcoidosis, infected implants, and which type of dementia someone has (Alzheimer's vs frontotemporal patterns). But FDG is not specific to tumors. Inflammation, infection, and even brown fat soak up glucose too, so false positives are common. For these reasons, FDG-PET is not validated as a routine longevity or whole-body screen in healthy people: too many incidental findings, plus radiation and cost. Scans follow EANM procedure guidelines.
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Sources
- Boellaard R, Delgado-Bolton R, Oyen WJG, et al.. (2015). FDG PET/CT: EANM procedure guidelines for tumour imaging: version 2.0. *European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging*doi:10.1007/s00259-014-2961-x
- Johnson KA, Minoshima S, Bohnen NI, et al.. (2013). Appropriate Use Criteria for Amyloid PET: A Report of the Amyloid Imaging Task Force, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and the Alzheimer's Association. *Journal of Nuclear Medicine*doi:10.2967/jnumed.113.120618