The clinical application of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in pancreatic cancer: a narrative review

Pancreatic cancer is one of the worst prognoses of all malignant tumors, with an annual incidence near its annual mortality rate. To improve the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer, it is essential to diagnose and evaluate pancreatic cancer early. Imaging examinations play an essential role in tumor detection, staging, and surgical resection assessment and can provide reliable evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. Currently, imaging techniques commonly used for pancreatic cancer include endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), conventional ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), multidetector spiral computed tomography (MDCT), positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), and others PET/CT is a new imaging device composed of PET and CT. (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) is a commonly used tracer in the clinic. Cancer cells are more robust than other ordinary cells in that they can ingest glucose, and the structure of glucose is similar to the structure of (18)F-FDG. Therefore, after the injection of (18)F-FDG, (18)F-FDG in tumor cells appears very thick during PET scanning. Therefore, PET/CT can determine the metabolic capacity and anatomical position of pancreatic tumor cells in the body accurately diagnose the patient's condition and tumor location. It plays a vital role in early diagnosis and accurate staging, predicts survival, and monitors therapeutic effectiveness and pancreatic cancer recurrence. Although (18)F-FDG PET/CT has limitations in identifying inflammatory diseases and tumors, it still has good development potential. This article reviews the clinical application of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in pancreatic cancer.