Positron Emission Tomography's Utility in Esophageal Cancer Management

Esophageal cancer is rising in incidence and has a poor prognosis. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is increasingly being investigated as a tool to more discriminately manage these patients. Several studies have indicated benefits in the use of PET for staging and assessment of treatment response while others have provided contradicting results. There are many possible factors that might contribute to these results, including variability in the manner of PET administration and interpretation, timing, and study design. PET acquired after chemoradiation or chemotherapy may give important prognostic information that can guide additional management decisions. Studies have had substantial variability in the timing and manner of assessing PET for this purpose, and additional study is needed.