Preface Evolving Role of PET Imaging in Hematologic Malignancies

摘要

The introduction of fludeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET to the medical imaging arena has had a major impact on the evolution of radiologic techniques for assessing various diseases and disorders over the past four decades. The original intent of investigators at the University of Pennsylvania was to determine the role of FDG in evaluating brain function in normal aging and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, soon after these initial studies investigating central nervous system maladies, FDG was employed to determine the degree of aggressiveness of brain tumors. Soon after the introduction of PET-based body imaging instruments, this compound was found to be of great value in diagnosing, staging, monitoring response to treatment, and detecting the recurrence of a multitude of malignant disorders.