Usefulness of [18F]FDG-PET in diagnosis of 18 tumors unapproved in health insurance. Study with multi-center survey by questionnaire

Usefulness of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) diagnosis of the title tumors is practically realized and their approval in the health insurance might be awaited. The actual state of the diagnosis to confirm its usefulness was studied by questionnaire to facilities, where PET had been conducted for those tumors in the period July, 2005-February, 2006. Major questions concerned the purpose and finding of PET, findings by other imaging means and by tumor markers, and judgment of PET effectiveness compared with other imaging (more useful, equally or less, and its reason). In 30 facilities that gave answers, subjects were 133 cases (3-86 years old) in 18 diseases, which involved 3 cases of neuroblastoma, 13 of pheochromocytoma, 2 of carcinoid, 12 malignant pleural mesothelioma, 2 of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, 13 of renal cell carcinoma, 2 of ureteral cancer, 4 of bladder cancer, 1 of Wilms' tumor, 24 of prostate cancer, 16 of testis tumor, 17 of mediastinal tumor, 5 of adrenal tumor, 5 of cutaneous tumor, 5 of extra-mammary Paget's disease, 7 of multiple myeloma, 1 of malignant fibrous histiocytoma and 1 of splenic hemangioma. Obtained were the judgments of highly useful in 10 diseases, fairly useful in 5, and useful in 3. Urological and cutaneous cancers above were subjected ones to their diagnosis of recurrence or metastasis postoperation, having given highly useful results, and thus FDG-PET was thought to be also highly useful in the postoperative follow-up. (R.T.)