[Contribution of FDG-PET in the management of pediatric sarcomas in 2011]

FDG-PET has boomed in recent years for diagnosis, staging and the search for recurrence of a large number of tumors. This is particularly true for soft tissue sarcomas and musculoskeletal sarcomas, for which the first publications on the potential role of FDG-PET dating back to the early 1990s. The majority of published studies on adult sarcomas confer, possibly a mixed population. Studies dedicated to pediatrics population are much rarer. The "Standards, Options and Recommendations" of the French Federation of Anticancer Centers published in 2003 on "The use of FDG-PET in oncology" and make recommendations and expert advices as part sarcomas of adult patients. After a first part dedicated to the particular interpretation of FDG PET in children, the purpose of this paper is to review the potential contribution of this exam in the treatment of pediatric sarcomas.