PET imaging has been used for the assessment of lung cancer for several years for diagnosis, staging, and post-treatment follow up. Expanded applications are now being used and explored in the imaging of the heart, thoracic vascular disease, and chest wall disorders. This issue provides an up-to-date review of the uses of PET for oncologic and nononcologic diseases of the thorax.

PET/CT holds great promise for the management of many types of infection and inflammation. This issue discusses many of these uses, starting with arthroplasty-associated infection. FDG PET/CT also has utility in inflammatory bowel disease. This issue also discusses the utilization of FDG PET and PET/CT in the evaluation of diabetic foot, and in monitoring therapeutic effect in patients without malignancy. PET/CT is reviewed regarding its use in patients with sarcoidosis or IgG4 disease. Also covered is the application of FDG PET/CT in detecting the source of fever of unknown origin. Artherosclerosis and vasculitis can be assessed by PET/CT and FDG PET/CT can also be used in the management of severe infection in patients with malignancies. Finally, the issue discusses the use of PET and PET/CT in the evaluation of osteomyelitis.

This issue provides a complete update on PET imaging of lymphoma, starting with a clinical assessment of lymphoma and the role of medical imaging. The role of structural imaging in lymphoma is then discussed. From a Nuclear Medicine perspective, FDG-PET in lymphoma is reviewed, as is the role of FDG-PET in pediatric lymphoma. Next, the role of non-FDG tracers in lymphoma is reviewed. Other articles cover the role of fMRI and optical imaging in lymphoma, the role of diffusion-weighted MRI in lymphoma, FDG-PET in personalization of therapy in patients with lymphoma, and PET and radiation oncology in lymphoma.

PET imaging has been used for the assessment of lung cancer for several years for diagnosis, staging, and post-treatment follow up.? Expanded applications are now being used and explored in the imaging of the heart, thoracic vascular disease, and chest wall disorders.? This issue provides an up-to-date review of the uses of PET for oncologic and nononcologic diseases of the thorax.

This issue of PET Clinics focuses on Lung Cancer, and is edited by Drs. Gang Cheng and Timothy Akhurst. Articles will include: FDG PET/CT for lung cancer staging; Lung neoplasms with low FDG avidity; FDG PET/CT evaluation of lung cancer in populations with high prevalence of granulomatous disease; Prognostic value of FDG PET/CT; Genomic characterization of lung cancer and its impact on the use and timing of PET in therapeutic response assessment; Treatment planning for radiation therapy; Future directions of PET imaging for lung cancer; PET for RT-planning in lung cancer; Genomic characterization of lung cancer and its impact on the use and timing of PET in therapeutic response assessment; and more!

PET imaging has become an essential part of radiation therapy for cancer patients. Leading off the issue are articles on clinical applications and technical aspects. Following those are reviews of the use of PET in the treatment for lung cancer, gynecologic malignancies, GI and pancreatic tumors, and brain tumors, lymphoma, and head and neck malignancies. The final article addresses advances in hybrid imaging in planning of radiation therapy.

This issue of PET Clinics focuses on PET Imaging in Pediatric Patients and is edited by Drs. Hongming Zhuang and Abass Alavi. Articles will include: Promising New PET tracers in the evaluation of pediatric disease; F-DOPA PET/CT in the management of congenital hyperinsulinism; Emerging roles of PET/MRI in pediatric hospital; Roles of FDG PET/CT in the management of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease in pediatric patient; FDG-PET/CT in the management of pediatric lymphoma; Preparation and logistic consideration in performing PET/CT and PET/MRI in pediatric patients; PET/CT in the evaluation of FUO and infectious/inflammatory disease in pediatric patients; Roles of PET/CT in the evaluation of neuroblastoma; Potential Roles of Total Body Imaging in Pediatric Diseases and Disorders; PET/CT in the Management of Pediatric Sarcomas; Pediatric Cardiac PET Imaging; Dosimetry between PET/CT and PET/MRI: Implications in Pediatric Imaging; Essential Role of Global Disease Assessment in Assessing Systemic Disorders, and more!

This pocket book provides clinicians with the necessary information to understand the role of FDG PET/CT in infection and inflammation. It will help both in making appropriate imaging requests with adequate clinical information and in interpreting the report. The coverage encompasses a wide range of topics, including the role of PET/CT in pyrexia of unknown origin, vasculitis, autoimmune diseases, prosthetic joint infections, osteomyelitis and diabetic foot, immunodeficiency disease, and vascular graft surgery. The book will be a very useful guide to a great test that can provide significant assistance in patient management. It is published within the Springer series Clinicians’ Guides to Radionuclide Hybrid Imaging, in which leading professionals succinctly explain the importance of nuclear medicine in the diagnosis and management of oncological and non-oncological conditions.

The aim of this issue is to provide the thoracic surgeon with information about the staging and treatment of cancer to the mediastinal lymph nodes. The issue includes articles on the anatomy and physiology of the lymph nodes, imaging of the lymph nodes, and various techniques for diagnosing and dissecting the lymph nodes, including video-assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy and transcervical extended mediastinal lymphadenectomy.

In this issue of Surgical Oncology Clinics of North America, Guest Editor Mark Krasna and colleagues discuss a wide range of topics devoted to lung cancer. Articles focus on pathology; updated staging systems; epidemiology of lung cancer - smoking, second hand smoke, and genetics; molecular markers for incidence, prognosis, and response to therapy; screening; diagnostic work-up; non-invasive staging techniques; surgical resection; the role of surgery following induction therapy for stage III NSCLC; the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in NSCLC (stages I-III); and much more.