Impact of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography on surgical management of melanoma patients.

The article discusses a study that assessed the impact of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) on the treatment of melanoma in three Dutch university medical centers. The study concluded that FDG-PET is most valuable in patients with stage III melanoma for detection of distant metastases and identification of candidates for surgery and/or systemic treatment. Unexpected FDG-PET findings should not be disregarded, as malignant, clinically relevant tumors may be identified.