Efficacy and Limitations of F-18-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose Positron Emission Tomography to Differentiate Between Malignant and Benign Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors

Positron emission tomography (PET) using 18fluorine-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), is the most widely applied molecular imaging technique in oncology. The present study assessed the efficacy and limitations of FDG-PET by comparing FDG accumulation in bone and soft tissue lesions, as well as histopathological features.The study included 122 patients with 165 lesions, as assessed by histopathological examinations. The maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of benign lesions were compared to those of primary, recurrent, or metastatic sarcomas, as well as those of other malignancies.The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of SUVmax for differentiation between benign lesions and primary sarcomas were 67.9%, 92.9%, and 80.4%, respectively. There were no significant differences between benign lesions and recurrent or metastatic sarcomas.Although FDG-PET is a useful imaging modality to differentiate primary sarcomas from benign lesions, it is difficult to differentiate residual or metastatic sarcomas from benign lesions.