Musculoskeletal system

Diagnostic imaging has played a major role in the evaluation of patients with cancers of the bone and soft tissue. The imaging modalities have included radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and bone scintigraphy. Current experience suggests that functional imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) and [F-18]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) may also have an important role in the imaging evaluation of patients with bone and soft tissue sarcoma, including guiding biopsy, detecting local recurrence in amputation stumps, detecting metastatic disease, predicting and monitoring response to therapy, and assessing for prognosis. Prospective studies with large patient groups will be essential to define the exact diagnostic role of FDG PET in this clinical setting, which should also include an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and the short-term and long-term benefits in clinical decision making and management. In this article, we review the diagnostic utility of dedicated PET and PET combined with computed tomography imaging system in the evaluation of patients with bone and soft tissue malignancies.