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FDG-PET/CT Technology Proves Valuable in Mesothelioma Care

Mesothelioma. Because treatment options are limited and hope for a full recovery is still something that researchers are working on, a diagnosis of mesothelioma can be discouraging, disheartening and downright devastating for patients and their families. Symptoms of this type of cancer often do not manifest until years after exposure to the asbestos that caused it.

Unfortunately, that means the cancer develops, grows and impacts the lungs, heart and other internal organs long before its presence is even known. That delay is what makes it so life threatening. By the time it is diagnosed and treatment begins, mesothelioma likely has already taken control. Mesothelioma attorneys in Florida and throughout the U.S. have worked with the families and victims of asbestos exposure who've developed meso recover the necessary compensation to fight this deadly form of cancer.

New research continues to advance diagnostic tools available to detect meso in earlier stages. Previously, doctors used FDG-PET (flourodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography) to diagnose cases of mesothelioma. In a study conducted in Japan, researchers found using FDG-PET/CT (flourodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computer tomography) technology more effective for earlier mesothelioma diagnosis.

Promising Results for Earlier Mesothelioma Detection

An hour after injecting 31 patients known to have mesothelioma with FDG, researchers conducted FDG-PET/CT scans. The scans resulted in only 30 of the 31 patients showing abnormal uptake of the FDG. However, when the patients were scanned a second time, two hours after the injection, all 31 patients showed abnormal uptake values.

In the study published in Oncology Reports, the researchers concluded the delayed process is more reliable for predicting mesothelioma than the one-hour, early phase testing conducted. Researchers in India, in a study published in Molecular Imaging and Biology, also found the dual-point, delayed testing to be more effective than the standard FDG-PET scans.

It is likely further studies will be conducted to better understand the Japan and India studies. If the most recent findings are confirmed, mesothelioma physicians may choose to rely more on the results of delayed phase of testing when diagnosing patients with the asbestos-related cancer. Researchers and physicians hope the delayed-phased testing will lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment for victims of mesothelioma.

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