Fluorodeoxyglucose PET in Radiation Oncology Planning.

Abstract

Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET is a critical functional imaging modality in modern radiation therapy, enabling improved tumor detection, target delineation, and treatment assessment. This review highlights FDG-PET's role in radiotherapy planning, including integration through image registration, PET/computed tomography simulation, and incorporation of quantitative metrics for segmentation and dose optimization. Emerging applications such as adaptive radiotherapy and dose painting are discussed, along with using FDG-PET to assess treatment response. FDG-PET also provides insight into radiation-induced normal tissue changes and prior treatment fields. Collectively, FDG-PET enhances precision in radiotherapy planning and supports more personalized, response-adaptive treatment strategies.