PET/CT-guided Tumor Ablation: Technical Insights and Clinical Applications

PET/CT-guided ablation is increasingly being used in interventional oncology, due to its unique ability for precise tumor targeting and real-time intraprocedural evaluation of treatment completeness. This modality is extremely useful for targeting hypermetabolic tumors that may not be conspicuous on anatomic imaging. Intraprocedural postablation PET/CT can detect residual unablated tumor and depict ablation margins, permitting repeat ablation within the same treatment session. Moreover, intraprocedural PET metrics are a predictive biomarker of local tumor progression. This review summarizes the indications, workflow, and outcomes of PET/CT-guided tumor ablations.