PET/CT Combined Improves Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis

Combining positron emission tomography and computed tomography provides quicker and more precise information to guide the treatment of colorectal cancer, according to a study published in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at Germany’s University Hospital Essen found that the PET/CT combination was 22 percent more accurate in defining the exact stage of the tumor than CT or PET alone.

The study compared the use of newly available PET/CT devices to conventional techniques for diagnosis of 47 patients with colorectal cancer. CT alone correctly diagnosed 52 percent of the cancers, and CT followed by PET was accurate in 64 percent of the cases. The PET/CT combination was most successful in designing treatment for individual patients, the report said.