[Fluorine-18-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography in colorectal cancer]

Colorectal cancer is a leading cancer in many countries. The glucose metabolic activities of the tumor cells are higher than that of the normal cells. They could uptake much more 2-[18F] Fluoro-2-Deoxy-d-Glucose (18F-FDG), an analogue of glucose, than normal cells do. The physicians can search the lesions via 18F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET). 18F-FDG-PET has higher sensitivity and accuracy in diagnosing the primary lesion, recurrence, liver metastasis and extrahepatic metastasis of the colorectal cancer, compared with the conventional technique. The results of the 18F-FDG-PET often restage the colorectal cancer and even change the treatment plan as 18F-FDG-PET provides more information than traditional technique does. Also, it could be used to follow up the case of the colorectal cancer after operation, systematic chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The current review addresses the metabolism, the clinical application, the shortcomings and the future prospect.