Oncologic PET/CT interpretation and reporting approaches. Survey in clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology
• Oncologic Imaging

Background:

• Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) is crucial for oncologic staging and monitoring.
• Standardization in reporting PET/CT findings is essential for consistent patient care.
• Current interpretation techniques vary among specialists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common techniques used in interpreting oncologic PET/CT studies.
• To establish a baseline for standardizing PET/CT reporting.
• To highlight critical areas needing improvement in PET/CT interpretation.

Main Methods:

• A web-based survey was distributed to 329 PET/CT imaging specialists.
• The survey included 19 questions assessing image interpretation patterns.
• Participants included nuclear medicine specialists, radiologists, and dual-board certified physicians.

Main Results:

• Reporting of standardized uptake values (SUV) is inconsistent; only 50.2% always report SUVs.
• SUVmax is preferred over SUVmean, with 80.9% emphasizing understanding SUV limitations.
• Maximum intensity projection (MIP) images are reviewed by 91.1%, but adequate clinical history is often lacking (20.7%).

Conclusions:

• PET/CT readers express reservations about consistent SUV reporting.
• SUVmax is more commonly reported than SUVmean.
• While MIP evaluation is standard, insufficient clinical history hinders accurate PET/CT interpretation.