STANDARDIZED UPTAKE VALUE (SUV): BASIC FACTS

Abstract

Positron emission tomography and computerized tomography (PET/CT) is the most commonly used hybrid imaging of the current era. This modality has essentially changed the practice of clinical oncology through invaluable sensitive qualitative and quantitative inputs in diagnosis, staging, treatment and response assessment. F-18 labelled deoxyglucose (¹⁸FDG) is the most common substrate used for PET/CT due to longer half-life of F-18 (110 minutes) and sensitivity (glucose dependence in most tumors) but relatively low specificity (glucose dependence in infective and inflammatory processes as well). In fact, in some malignancies like lymphoma, lung, melanoma and genitourinary, ¹⁸FDG PET/CT has become standard of care.