Revolutionary impact of PET and PET-CT on the day-to-day practice of medicine and its great potential for improving future health care

Abstract

In this communication, we present an overview of the impact and advantages of PET and PET-CT fusion imaging in the practice of medicine. We also discuss the evolution of this promising molecular imaging technique since its inception and the future prospects of the combined structure-function approach. Superior contrast resolution, accurate quantification and above all optimal image quality aid in improved diagnosis of many serious disorders including cancer. We speculate that this powerful imaging approach will almost completely replace most other conventional methods in the future. Currently, 18[F]-fluorode- -oxyglucose (FDG) is the main radiopharmaceutical employed for PET studies around the globe. With the availability of high quality PET images on a routine basis in most centres around the world and the likelihood that several other useful PET tracers will be approved in the near future for routine clinical applications, this technique will likely become essential in almost any medical disorder.