Selection of the field of views and its value in ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT tumor imaging

The imaging field of view (FOV) used for most oncological ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT studies, from skull to mid-thigh, is typically a limited whole-body (LWB). This methodology has been suggested by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging and European Association of Nuclear Medicine guidelines. Using routine FOV for LWB may underestimate the true tumor extent because malignancy beyond the FOV might be missed. This review summarizes the optimum scan FOV for different types of tumors. For some tumors (such as lung cancer) that commonly spread to the brain, brain and (or) head should be included in the FOV. For lymphoma, especially pediatric lymphoma, which commonly involves lower extremities, true whole-body (TWB) scan should be used for cancer staging and follow up. LWB scan is optimal for melanoma which confined in the field of LWB. (authors)