Influences on PET Quantification and Interpretation
Julian M. M. Rogasch,
Frank Hofheinz,
Lutz van Heek,
Conrad-Amadeus Voltin,
Ronald Boellaard,
Carsten Kobe
Affiliations
Julian M. M. Rogasch
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Frank Hofheinz
Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz Center Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden, Germany
Lutz van Heek
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Conrad-Amadeus Voltin
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Ronald Boellaard
Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Amsterdam University Medical Center, Free University Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Carsten Kobe
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Various factors have been identified that influence quantitative accuracy and image interpretation in positron emission tomography (PET). Through the continuous introduction of new PET technology—both imaging hardware and reconstruction software—into clinical care, we now find ourselves in a transition period in which traditional and new technologies coexist. The effects on the clinical value of PET imaging and its interpretation in routine clinical practice require careful reevaluation. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of important factors influencing quantification and interpretation with a focus on recent developments in PET technology. Finally, we discuss the relationship between quantitative accuracy and subjective image interpretation.
