Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Transformation of Oncology: Melanoma and Skin Malignancies.

Abstract

Skin cancers are the most common cancers, with melanoma resulting in the highest cause of death in this category. Accurate clinical, histologic, and imaging staging with fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) is most important to guide patient management. Whilst surgical excision with clear margins is the gold-standard treatment for primary cutaneous melanoma, targeted therapies have generated remarkable and rapid clinical responses in melanoma, for which FDG PET also plays an important role in assessment of treatment response and post-therapy surveillance. Non-FDG PET tracers, advanced PET technology, and PET radiomics may potentially change the landscape of the utilization of PET in the imaging of patients with cutaneous malignancies.