| [ Summary ] |
In Japan FDG-PET cancer screening has become wide spread over the last decade because it can be used to detect a variety of malignant tumors, safely and easily. The detection rates for PET cancer screening have been reported to be about 1 % which is much higher than some effective screening modalities. However, FDG-PET has some limitations and misses some kinds of malignant tumors. Moreover, the efficacy of PET cancer screening remains to be assessed. At this time PET cancer screening is categorized as opportunistic screening. In most PET cancer screening facilities, comprehensive screening courses have been adopted in order to minimize the limitations of FDG-PET. The assessment of validity is a significant and urgent issue concerning PET cancer screening. PET cancer screening is being evaluated in relation to screening performance, risk-benefit analysis or economic impact. FDG-PET is also useful for primary unknown cancers in order to detect primary sites, because it can easily screen the whole body. |