Diagnostic applications of nuclear medicine: Sarcomas

Bone and soft tissue tumors, while rare, account for a relatively large proportion of pediatric cancer diagnoses. The role for [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT in the staging and prognostication of pediatric s arcomas remains an active area for research and topic of debate. [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT clearly maintains a significant role in the detection of osseous metastasis in osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma; however, it lacks the sensitivity and specificity in detecting pulmonary metastasis when compared to conventional CT scan. [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT predicts histologic response in osteosarcoma; however, more studies are needed to determine whether it can predict outcome in other pediatric sarcomas as a whole. While [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT is becoming increasingly utilized in the staging of pediatric sarcomas, more research will be needed to fully understand how best to incorporate its use in the management of, or as a prognostic tool in, pediatric and young adult bone and soft tissue sarcomas.