HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Related articles in Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Divgi, C. R. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Divgi, C. R.

Molecular Imaging of Pulmonary Cancer and Inflammation

¹ Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadeplhia, Pennsylvania

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Chaitanya R. Divgi, M.D., Professor of Radiology, Professor of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Chief, Nuclear Medicine Clinical Molecular Imaging, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. E-mail: chaitanya.divgi{at}uphs.upenn.edu

ABSTRACT

Molecular imaging (MI) may be defined as imaging in vivo using molecules that report on biologic function. This review will focus on the clinical use of radioactive tracers (nonpharmacologic amounts of compounds labeled with a radioactive substance) that permit external imaging using single photon emission computed tomography (planar, SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Imaging of lung cancer has been revolutionized with the use of fluorine-18–labeled fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG), an analog of glucose that can be imaged using PET. The ability to carry out whole body imaging after intravenous injection of 18F-FDG allows accurate staging of disease, helping to determine regional and distant nodal and other parenchymal involvement. Glycolysis is increased in nonmalignant conditions, including inflammation (e.g., sarcoidosis), and ¹⁸F-FDG PET is a sensitive method for evaluation of active inflammatory disease. Inflammatory disease has been imaged, even before the advent of PET, with planar and SPECT imaging using gallium-67, a radiometal that binds to transferrin. Metabolic alteration in pulmonary pathology is currently being studied, largely in lung cancer, primarily with PET, with a variety of other radiotracers. Prominent among these is thymidine; fluorine-18–labeled thymidine PET is being increasingly used to evaluate proliferation rate in lung and other cancers. This overview will focus on the clinical utility of ¹⁸F-FDG PET in the staging and therapy evaluation of lung cancer as well as in imaging of nonmalignant pulmonary conditions. PET and SPECT imaging with other radiotracers of interest will also be reviewed. Future directions in PET imaging of pulmonary pathophysiology will also be explored.

Key Words: SPECT • PET • radiolabeled ligands • cancer • infection

Related articles in Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society:

Chair's Summary

Vladimir R. Muzykantov
Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society 2009 6: 398-402. [Full Text]