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World J Gastrointest Oncol. May 15, 2010; 2(5): 213-217
Published online May 15, 2010. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v2.i5.213
Published online May 15, 2010. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v2.i5.213
Positron emission tomography as predictor of rectal cancer response during or following neoadjuvant chemoradiation
Shane Hopkins, Gary Y Yang, Department of Radiation Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, United States
Marwan Fakih, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, United States
Author contributions: Hopkins S was primary author; Yang GY and Fakih M participated in the conception, editing, and final review of the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Gary Y Yang, MD, Department of Radiation Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, United States. gary.yang@roswellpark.org
Telephone: +1-716-8453296 Fax: +1-716-8457616
Received: December 17, 2009
Revised: January 27, 2010
Accepted: February 2, 2010
Published online: May 15, 2010
Revised: January 27, 2010
Accepted: February 2, 2010
Published online: May 15, 2010
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) shows great promise as a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of rectal cancer neoadjuvant therapy as it has demonstrated high predictive value in several studies. Creating a standardized method of using PET has the potential to reduce ineffective treatments. However, relevant studies have been heterogenous in approach, making any unified standard difficult to establish. PET related parameters used to assess treatment response include magnitude and change of standard uptake value, total lesion glycolysis, and visual response. Finding the best evaluation interval and parameters to use for interpreting PET results in the neo-adjuvant treatment of rectal cancer needs additional study.