<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Background. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is increasingly used in the evaluation of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), primarily for staging purposes. The aim of this paper is to perform a systematic review about the usefulness of PET-CT using FDG in response assessment after treatment with tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with advanced RCC. Materials and methods. The scientific literature about the role of PET-CT using FDG in the assessment of response to treatment with TKIs in patients affected by advanced RCC was systematically reviewed. Results. Seven studies about the role of PET-CT using FDG in the response assessment after treatment with TKIs (essentially sunitinib and sorafenib) in advanced RCC were retrieved in full-text and analysed, to determine the predictive role of this morpho-functional imaging method on patient outcome. Conclusions. To date, the role of PET-CT using FDG in evaluating the response to TKIs in metastatic RCC patients is still not well defined, partly due to heterogeneity of available studies; however, PET-CT reveals potential role for the selection of patients undergoing therapy with TKIs. The use of contrast-enhanced PET-CT appears to be promising for a “multi-dimensional” evaluation of treatment response in these patients.</abstract>

Background. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is increasingly used in the evaluation of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), primarily for staging purposes. The aim of this paper is to perform a systematic review about the usefulness of PET-CT using FDG in response assessment after treatment with tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with advanced RCC. Materials and methods. The scientific literature about the role of PET-CT using FDG in the assessment of response to treatment with TKIs in patients affected by advanced RCC was systematically reviewed. Results. Seven studies about the role of PET-CT using FDG in the response assessment after treatment with TKIs (essentially sunitinib and sorafenib) in advanced RCC were retrieved in full-text and analysed, to determine the predictive role of this morpho-functional imaging method on patient outcome. Conclusions. To date, the role of PET-CT using FDG in evaluating the response to TKIs in metastatic RCC patients is still not well defined, partly due to heterogeneity of available studies; however, PET-CT reveals potential role for the selection of patients undergoing therapy with TKIs. The use of contrast-enhanced PET-CT appears to be promising for a “multi-dimensional” evaluation of treatment response in these patients.

The role of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in evaluating the response to tyrosine-kinase inhibitors in patients with metastatic primary renal cell carcinoma

Institute of Nuclear Medicine, PET/CT Center, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

Institute of Nuclear Medicine, PET/CT Center, Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Catholic University, Largo Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy

School of Medicine, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

School of Cancer Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT Center, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland

Radiology and Oncology

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Background. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is increasingly used in the evaluation of patients with...

The role of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in evaluating the response to tyrosine-kinase inhibitors in patients with metastatic primary renal cell carcinoma

Published Online: Jul 10, 2014

Page range: 219 - 227

Received: Feb 08, 2013

Accepted: Aug 21, 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/raon-2013-0067

Keywords
fluorodeoxyglucose, positron emission tomography, advanced renal cell carcinoma, tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, response to treatment

© by Carmelo Caldarella

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The role of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in evaluating the response to tyrosine-kinase inhibitors in patients with metastatic primary renal cell carcinoma

Published Online: Jul 10, 2014

Page range: 219 - 227

Received: Feb 08, 2013

Accepted: Aug 21, 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/raon-2013-0067

Keywordsfluorodeoxyglucose, positron emission tomography, advanced renal cell carcinoma, tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, response to treatment

© by Carmelo Caldarella

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords
fluorodeoxyglucose, positron emission tomography, advanced renal cell carcinoma, tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, response to treatment