PET/CT検査の近況

This article was described about the PET/CT system which was newly introduced to Tokushima University Hospital in October, 2005. We have already experienced more than 2000 studies since the introduction of the system. PET/CT system is a hybrid equipment which combined PET machine and CT machine in one body. Patients have a PET scan and a CT scan at one stop. PET/CT can fuse biological/metabolic and morphologic information at one series. Fifteen diseases are covered by health insurance, including 13 malignancies. Most of the clinical applications are lung cancer, breast cancer, head and neck cancer, malignant lymphoma and colon cancer. Clinical utilities of PET/CT are 1）staging of malignancy, 2）detection of tumor recurrence/metastases, 3）restaging after some treatment, 4）monitoring of the effect of treatment, 5）identifying the malignant lesion from benign one.
PET/CT have already played an important role in clinical oncology, more widespread clinical usage is expected.

四国医学雑誌 : http://www.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp/article/0012780.html