The Role of Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography and SPECT/Computed Tomography in Oncologic Imaging

• Published in: Seminars in oncology Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 87 - 108
• Main Authors: Brandon, David, Alazraki, Adina, Halkar, Raghuveer K, Alazraki, Naomi P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.02.2011
• Subjects: Cameras; Cancer; Computed tomography; Data processing; Drug Monitoring; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Hybrids; Molecular Imaging - methods; Neoplasm Staging; Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neuroendocrine Tumors - diagnostic imaging; Positron emission tomography; Radiation; Radiation Injuries - prevention & control; Radiopharmaceuticals; Reviews; Sensitivity and Specificity; Single photon emission computed tomography; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon - adverse effects; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon - methods; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - adverse effects; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods
• ISSN: 0093-7754; 1532-8708
• DOI: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2010.11.003

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and hybrid SPECT/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) cameras have emerged as a dominant technology providing invaluable tools in the diagnosis, staging, therapy planning, and treatment monitoring of multiple cancers over the past decade. In the same way that positron emission tomography (PET) benefited from the addition of CT, functional SPECT and anatomic CT data obtained as a single study have shown improvements in diagnostic imaging sensitivity and specificity by improving lesion conspicuity, reducing false positives, and clarifying indeterminate lesions. Furthermore, the anatomic imaging better localizes the functional data, which can be critical in surgical and therapy planning. As more disease-specific imaging agents become available, the role of SPECT/CT in the new paradigms of molecular imaging for personalized medicine will expand. Established and emerging uses of SPECT/CT in a wide variety of oncologic diseases, as well as radiation exposure issues, are reviewed.