The promise and limits of PET texture analysis

Metabolic heterogeneity is a recognized characteristic of malignant tumors. Positron emission tomography (PET) texture analysis evaluated intratumoral heterogeneity in the uptake of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose. There were recent evidences that PET textural features were of prognostic significance in patients with different solid tumors. Unfortunately, there are still crucial standardization challenges to transform PET texture parameters from their current use as research tools into the arena of validated technologies for use in oncology practice. Testing its generalizability, robustness, consistency, and limitations is necessary before implementing it in daily patient care.