The complexity of issues associated with gating studies with PET imaging are mostly unknown among practitioners of the field, which is posing a significant danger to those who undergo such studies. This is particularly true for respiratory gating examination. Topics in this issue include both basic and clinical topics, including views from radiation oncology physicians.

This issue of PET Clinics focuses on PET-CT-MRI based Cardiovascular Imaging, and is edited by Drs. Abass Alavi (the Consulting Editor of PET Clinics), Poul Flemming Høilund-Carlsen, and Ali Salavati. Articles will include: Evolving role of PET in detecting and characterizing atherosclerosis; Applications of modern CT techniques in assessing cardiovascular disorders; Applications of conventional MRI techniques in assessing cardiovascular disorders; PET/CT Assessment of ischemic heart disease; PET/CT evaluation of cardiac sarcoidosis; PET/MRI in cardiovascular imaging; Evolving role of PET in detecting and characterizing cardiovascular disorders; PET/CT evaluation of infectious diseases of the heart; State of PET-based gating in cardiac imaging; Potential role of PET in assessing cardiac arrhythmias; PET-based cardiovascular imaging tracers; and more!

PET/CT is an integral part of the evaluation of patients who have head and neck cancer. In this issue, the state of the art in PET/CT imaging is discussed. The issue starts with an overview of FDG-PET/CT, PET and MRI for normal anatomy, including pitfalls and artifacts. This topic is followed by a review of FDG-PET/CT for initial and subsequent therapy evaluation; progressing to PET and MRI. Other articles discuss SUV as a prognostic factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, PET in head and neck cancer radiotherapy treatment planning, PET in decision making for neck dissection after radiation treatment, and newer methods for improving yield from FDG-PET imaging for accurate staging, determining tumor biology, and assessing prognosis. The issue focuses on some of the most cutting-edge applications, such as new tracers PET in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (including FLT and hypoxia imaging). PET scans in thyroid cancer is also discussed.

This issue discusses the clinical application of PET Imaging in assessing brain tumors, Including what a neuro-oncologist’s expectations should be. One article discusses how PET can help in developing reliable response evaluation criteria in brain tumors; another reviews modern tracers for brain tumors. The evolving role of PET-MRI in brain tumors is examined. Parametric mapping of multiple PET tracers with MRI response evaluation is reviewed. Another article discusses the role of early and delayed PET imaging and novel quantitative techniques in hybrid imaging for brain tumors. The perspective of pediatric imaging is also given.

This issue of Cardiology Clinics, edited by Sharmila Dorbala and Piotr Slomka, examines Nuclear Cardiology. Topics include Advances in SPECT Hardware and Software; Advances in PET Hardware and Software; Technical Advances and Clinical Applications of Cardiac PET/MR; Translational Coronary Atherosclerosis Imaging (NaF PET, FDG); Quantitative Nuclear Cardiology Using New Generation Equipment; Myocardial Perfusion Flow Tracers; Translational Molecular Nuclear Cardiology; Radionuclide Imaging in Congestive Heart Failure (Sarcoid, Amyloid, Viability); Clinical Applications of Imaging Myocardial Innervation; Gated Radionuclide Imaging Including Dyssynchrony Assessment; Clinical PET Myocardial Perfusion Imaging Including Flow Quantitation; and Novel Applications of Radionuclide Imaging in Peripheral Vascular Disease.

This issue examines PET-MRI with evolving but potentially competing technologies. The guest editors have put together an extremely timely issue as practicing radiologists are increasingly curious about the role of diffusion weighted imaging with MRI as a competing or a complementary technique to PET.

This issue of PET Clinics focuses on Lung Cancer, and is edited by Drs. Gang Cheng and Timothy Akhurst. Articles will include: FDG PET/CT for lung cancer staging; Lung neoplasms with low FDG avidity; FDG PET/CT evaluation of lung cancer in populations with high prevalence of granulomatous disease; Prognostic value of FDG PET/CT; Genomic characterization of lung cancer and its impact on the use and timing of PET in therapeutic response assessment; Treatment planning for radiation therapy; Future directions of PET imaging for lung cancer; PET for RT-planning in lung cancer; Genomic characterization of lung cancer and its impact on the use and timing of PET in therapeutic response assessment; and more!