Variability of [18F]FDG administered activities among patients undergoing PET examinations: an international...

Given the large number of [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET examinations performed annually throughout the world, reduction of the administered activity without compromise of the clinical information being sought is encouraged. Guidelines issued by the SNMMI and European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) differ greatly on the choice of the activity that should be administered to patients: the EANM suggests a personalised activity based on the patient's body weight, whereas the SNMMI recommends the administration of fixed activities. The authors analysed a database of 24 716 [(18)F]FDG administrations performed worldwide in 15 PET centres to assess the degree of heterogeneity, in relation to available technology, operational protocols and reference guidelines. Median activities based on the patients' body weight were 43 % lower than fixed-activity administrations (p < 0.001). When TOF scanners are available, the median activity is lowered, but when comparing centres with the same technology or those that use the same operational protocols, weight-based activities are still significantly lower than fixed activities.