Positron emission tomography using 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) enables imaging based on the metabolic activity of the imaged tissue by evaluating the activity of glucose metabolism. There are numerous applications for the method in testicular germ cell neoplasms, especially for evaluation of residual tumor or for assessing treatment toxicity such as bleomycin-induced pneumonitis.
The importance of FDG-PET is growing especially in advanced tumors and high-risk patients. Here we review indications and limitations of the method in testicular cancer.