¹⁸F-FDG positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography in renal cell carcinoma diagnostics

Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) is a method, capable of evaluation of not only structural, but also metabolic alterations in organs and tissues. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-PDG) PET/CT is widely used in diagnostics of various malignant tumors, but its role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains obscure.Despite its limited effectiveness in primary and differential diagnosis of RCC, PET/CT can be used to determine the grade of malignancy and the histological type of tumor. According to various authors, 18F-FDG standardized uptake value (SUV) of a renal neoplasm can serve as an independent prognostic factor of overall survival.18F-FDG PET/CT is widely used to detect local recurrence and metastatic lesions in various neoplastic processes. Numerous studies confirm the high efficiency of PET/CT in detection of metastases and recurrence discernment for RCC.The ability to assess the metabolic activity of neoplastic foci using PET/CT may allow for evaluation of RCC therapy effectiveness, which is confirmed by clinical studies of various targeted therapy agents, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies.Thus, there is growing evidence that 18F-FDG PET/CT is a useful tool in diagnostics of RCC