The Use of 18f-Fdg in Oncology and its Applications in Neuroblastomas

Abstract

Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer in babies and the third most common cancer in children, behind only leukemia and brain tumor. Knowing this, oncology has been working hard with research and equipment to bring the best possible treatment and diagnosis as quickly as possible to combat not only neuroblastoma but also all cancers that the individual may contract. When we speak of neuroblastoma, cancer that originates from cells of the nervous system, but we do not necessarily find the same in the nervous system since the embryonic process, the majority of which develop in the adrenal gland, so most tumors are found in the region of the abdomen, it can manifest itself in cells near the spinal cord, it can also develop in toxin. It is important to highlight that we cannot think of it as a tumor that manifests in the brain, it only originates in cells of the nervous system. PET / CT is a hybrid technique that combines the nuclear medicine examination of PET (positron emission tomography) with conventional computed tomography, associating metabolic and anatomical information and, thus, allowing diagnoses that are more accurate. The radiopharmaceutical most frequently used for this technology is 18F-FD, a glucose analog, whose accumulation depends on the glycolytic metabolism in the various organs and tissues; it is currently the most used with most of its applications in Oncology and has been shown the most effective for diagnosing cancer beforehand.