Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine
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Comparative Study
Staging pathways in recurrent colorectal carcinoma: is contrast-enhanced 18F-FDG PET/CT the diagnostic tool of choice?
(18)F-FDG PET/CT has gained wide acceptance for evaluation of recurrent colorectal carcinoma. However in clinical practice, contrast-enhanced CT (ceCT) is still the first-line restaging tool. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of contrast-enhanced PET/CT (cePET/CT) as a first-line restaging tool with a special focus on the importance of the use of intravenous contrast. ⋯ On the basis of its higher accuracy and therapeutic impact compared with ceCT, our data suggest that cePET/CT might be considered as the first-line diagnostic tool for restaging in patients with colorectal cancer.