Clinical Molecular Imaging Research Group (CMIRG)
Principal Investigator
- Andrew Quon, MD
Assistant Professor - Med Center Line, Radiology - Nuclear Medicine
Lab Members
3D CT has been available for over 10 years and can be readily performed at many modern imaging centers. The most common viewing formats: Virtual Colonoscopy and External 3D Volume "Fly-Around".
Some issues have diminished the utility of 3D CT:
- Small and flat lesions are difficult to see/characterize
- In CT colonography, stool cannot be differentiated from polyps without very strict bowel cleansing
- Steep learning curve for radiologists
FDG PET has superior accuracy to CT for many tumors and integrated PET/CT appears to add additional value. Although fused PET/CT images for 3D volume rendering is currently undefined and undescribed, it appears to provide additional beneficial data for image interpretation and may create new areas of clinical application. A particularly promising avenue is usage in pre-surgical/pre-procedural planning. Future work includes: (1) Further development of the 3D PET/CT software tools, (2) validation of this technique in more patients, and (3) use in tracers other than FDG.
News and Updates
2005 Society of Nuclear Medicine - Image of the year
- June 2007
Our journal article ""Flying through" and "flying around" a PET/CT scan: Pilot study and development of 3D integrated 18F-FDG PET/CT for virtual bronchoscopy and colonoscopy." has gained two awards:- Journal of Nuclear Medicine Clinical Paper of the Year
- AuntMinnie.com The Minnies 2006 Scientific Paper of the Year
- July 2006
Data from our project has been published in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine and featured on the cover. - June 20, 2005
We have been awarded Image of the Year at the 2005 Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) Annual Meeting in Toronto. - April 4, 2005
Proceeds from our project have been accepted for oral presenation at the Society of Nuclear Medicine Annual Meeting in Toronto this June 2005. Entitled: "NOVEL 3-D RENDERED FDG PET-CT VIRTUAL BRONCHOSCOPY AND COLONOGRAPHY FOR IMPROVED LESION LOCALIZATION AND PRE-SURGICAL EVALUATION."
