Basic Science of PET Imaging

This book offers a wide-ranging and up-to-date overview of the basic science underlying PET and its preclinical and clinical applications in oncology, cardiology, neurology, and other specialties. In addition, it provides the reader with a sound understanding of the scientific principles use of PET in routine clinical practice and biomedical imaging research.

Among the important topics addressed are the chemistry, production, and quality control of PET radiopharmaceuticals; regulatory aspects of PET tracer production; the physiologic and molecular basis of cancer detection by PET; fundamentals of and new advances in PET for the diagnosis of cardiac and neurological disorders; preclinical PET instrumentation and applications; radiation dosimetry of PET tracers; and the physics and instrumentation of both stand-alone and hybrid PET (PET/CT and PET/MR), as well as their clinical indications. Aspects such as data acquisition and image reconstruction, data analysis and processing, quantification, tracer kinetic modelling, motion artefacts, partial volume effects, and partial volume correction techniques are fully explained. The role of PET in radiotherapy treatment planning is also highlighted. The scientific language is geared to meet the needs of nuclear medicine practitioners, other radiology specialists, and trainees in these fields.

The use of PET imaging is growing in an unprecedented manner owing to its unique biological characteristics and ability to offer important insights into cellular, subcellular, and molecular pathways involved in disease progression or regression. Furthermore, the technologic advances promise to impact greatly on diagnostic accuracy and overall patient management. Basic Science of PET Imaging is a comprehensive and in-depth source of information on this exciting modality.