Cancer imaging: principles and practice

Unlike the majority of imaging modalities used in the management of patients with suspected or proven malignancy, which rely on alterations in structure to visualize the tumour site, nuclear medicine imaging techniques utilize the ability to visualize alterations in metabolism. These alterations in metabolism may occur in the tissues surrounding the tumour site or may occur in the tumour itself. Radiopharmaceuticals used in tumour imaging may also be divided into those that are specifically taken up by tumours and those whose uptake is non-specific. These non-specific agents also localize in other pathological processes such as inflammation. In this chapter, the principles underlying the localization of radiopharmaceuticals used for tumour imaging will be discussed (Table 2.1) and the role of nuclear medicine in the management of cancer patients will be explored.