Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Part I General concepts of PET and PET/CT imaging
- Part II Oncologic applications
- Chapter 5 Brain
- Chapter 6 Head, neck, and thyroid
- Chapter 7 Lung and pleura
- Chapter 8 Esophagus
- Chapter 9 Gastrointestinal tract
- Chapter 10 Pancreas and liver
- Chapter 11 Breast
- Chapter 12 Cervix, uterus, and ovary
- Chapter 13 Lymphoma
- Chapter 14 Melanoma
- Chapter 15 Bone
- Chapter 16 Pediatric oncology
- Chapter 17 Malignancy of unknown origin
- Chapter 18 Sarcoma
- Chapter 19 Methodological aspects of therapeutic response evaluation with FDG-PET
- Chapter 20 FDG-PET/CT-guided interventional procedures in oncologic diagnosis
- Index
- References
Chapter 5 - Brain
from Part II - Oncologic applications
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 September 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Part I General concepts of PET and PET/CT imaging
- Part II Oncologic applications
- Chapter 5 Brain
- Chapter 6 Head, neck, and thyroid
- Chapter 7 Lung and pleura
- Chapter 8 Esophagus
- Chapter 9 Gastrointestinal tract
- Chapter 10 Pancreas and liver
- Chapter 11 Breast
- Chapter 12 Cervix, uterus, and ovary
- Chapter 13 Lymphoma
- Chapter 14 Melanoma
- Chapter 15 Bone
- Chapter 16 Pediatric oncology
- Chapter 17 Malignancy of unknown origin
- Chapter 18 Sarcoma
- Chapter 19 Methodological aspects of therapeutic response evaluation with FDG-PET
- Chapter 20 FDG-PET/CT-guided interventional procedures in oncologic diagnosis
- Index
- References
Summary
In the USA, over 44,500 people are diagnosed with primary brain tumors each year, approximately 20,500 of which are malignant (1). Primary brain tumors were the cause of death of approximately 12,920 people in 2009, according to an estimate by the American Cancer Society (2). Over 140,000 people in the USA are diagnosed each year with brain metastases, most commonly from lung, breast, and colon cancer primaries (3, 4). Nuclear imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of both primary and metastatic brain tumors. This chapter will review the brain tumor pathology and clinical management and will discuss the role of nuclear imaging with a particular emphasis on the most common clinical indication for nuclear brain tumor imaging: evaluate for tumor recurrence versus post-radiation necrosis.
Staging
Gliomas
Gliomas are derived from glia which comprise 90% of the cells within the brain and play an important role in cellular homeostasis. Gliomas are subdivided into astrocytic, oligodendroglial, and mixed oligoastrocytic types (Table 5.1).
The WHO classification separates gliomas into Grades I–IV on the basis of histological features. Since they are often heterogeneous, gliomas are classified based on the most malignant sample of tissue analyzed. Low grade gliomas (Grades I–II) are characterized by high cellularity, pleomorphism, and a low cellular proliferation rate or mitotic index. High grade gliomas (Grade III–IV) have high cellularity and pleomorphism and a high mitotic index.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- A Case-Based Approach to PET/CT in Oncology , pp. 75 - 102Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012