-  Interpret the volumetric images on the computer screen or in the printouts. Note physiologic or postherapy inflammatory uptake.

-  Standard OSEM reconstruction with attenuation correction.

-  Calculate SUV, cutoff at 2.5 is a reference, between benign and malignant lesions.

-  Fusion with CT or MRI is essential to best locate lesions. The use of CECT (contrast enhanced computed tomography) increases mildly SUV. In 17 patients with non contrast CT SUV of right liver lobe had a mean of 4.08 and with contrast in a similar group, 4.01. In 5 patients liver SUV with non contrast CT, was 3.56 and with CECT was 3.98 same patients (personal experience).

-  Use PERCIST criteria for follow-up in solid tumors.

1  Schelbert H. R. et al. Procedure Guideline for Tumor Imaging Using F-18 FDG. Society of Nuclear Medicine Manual 2002: 133-137.

2  Rohren EM, Turkington TG, Coleman RE. Clinical applications of PET in oncology. Radiology. 2004 May;231(2):305-32.

3 Yat-Yin Yau, MD; Wing-Sze Chan, BSc; Yat-Man Tam, MSc; Phil Vernon, PhD; So Wong; Marc Coel, MD; and Simon Kwok-Fai Chu of Intravenous Contrast in PET/CT: Does It Really Introduce Significant Attenuation Correction Error? J Nucl Med 2005; 46:283–291.