75 ± 0.54) (Friedman's test; P  less then  0.001). FDG uptake in the sublingual glands (SUVmax = 3.77 ± 1.63) was significantly higher compared to the parotid glands (SUVmax = 2.34 ± 0.60) and submandibular glands (SUVmax = 2.51 ± 0.59) (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test; P  less then  0.001). FDG uptake in sublingual glands was significantly higher than FDG uptake in the mylohyoid muscles (P  less then  0.001). FDG uptake in the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands was inversely correlated to the age of subjects (Spearman' rho coefficient -0.397/P = 0.004; -0.329/P = 0.021; -0.535/P  less then  0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION The sublingual glands yield the highest physiologic FDG uptake in the FOM. High FDG uptake in the mylohyoid muscle is a common misconception.INTRODUCTION The aim of the study was to restore I-131 whole body image using Wiener filter. MATERIAL AND METHODS A set of 50 I-131 whole body images acquired using Symbia E dual head gamma camera with high energy general purpose collimator was used. The Gaussian point-spread function (PSF) characterised by the size (3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 pixels) and corresponding standard deviation (0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 1.75, and 2 pixels) and noise-to-signal power ratios (NSR 0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) were used as parameters for Wiener filter. Using the combinations of PSF and NSR, a total of 2450 images (50 × 49 = 2450 images, where 49 images include 1 input and 48 restored images for each input image) were generated and inspected by two nuclear medicine physicians. They selected one best image (the image which had less noise and better contrast between the lesion and background in comparison with the input image). Their results were analyzed. RESULTS Compared to input image, the metastatic uptake in restored images was very easily perceived. The restored image obtained with PSF (size = 13, sigma = 2) and NSR = 0.3 had better signal-to-noise ratio in comparison to restored image obtained with PSF (size = 11, sigma = 1.75) and NSR = 0.2. CONCLUSION The restored images with PSF (size = 13, sigma = 2) and NSR = 0.3 were found to have superior image quality in comparison with its input image.PURPOSE The aim of the study was to assess the association between the burden of metastatic bone disease measured on F-NaF PET/computed tomography (CT) studies and the overall survival (OS) of patients with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 31 patients with MTC who performed 18F-NaF PET/CT studies to assess skeletal metastases. The outcomes of the patients (dead or alive) were established based on the last information available on their files. In the studies considered positives for skeletal metastases, the burden of metastatic bone disease was established calculating the fluoride tumor volume (FTV). The FTV was defined using isocontour thresholds based on percentages of maximal standardized uptake values (SUVmax) in the lesions. These percentages varied from lesion to lesion and were established by visual analysis. The patients were divided into three groups as follows without skeletal metastases (n = 11), with low FTV (≤50 cm; n = 11) and with high FTV (>50cm; n = 9). The Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze the OS in the three groups of patients and the log-rank test was used to determine the statistical significance of the difference between the groups. RESULTS There were statistically significant differences in the OS between the group with high FTV and the groups of patients with low FTV (P = 0.036) and without skeletal metastases (P = 0.001). There was not a statistically significant difference between the groups of patients with low FTV and without skeletal metastases (P = 0.147). CONCLUSION In patients with MTC, the burden of metastatic bone disease is associated with OS.OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to evaluate PET response criteria in solid tumors (PERCIST) to indicate therapeutic response to definitive chemoradiotherapy, as well as prediction of recurrence and death in patients with esophageal cancer. METHODS Before and after recieving definitive chemoradiotherapy, 181 patients with esophageal cancer underwent fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT). PERCIST, reduction rates of tumor uptake and volume of whole lesions, tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging regarding progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using log-rank and Cox methods. RESULTS Complete metabolic response (CMR), partial metabolic response (PMR), stable metabolic disease (SMD), and progressive metabolic disease (PMD) shown by PERCIST were seen in 42 (23.2%), 113 (62.4%), 14 (7.7%), and 12 (6.6%) patients, respectively. Progression developed in 137 (75.7%) patients and 101 (56.1%) patients died (median follow-up 16.9, range 3.2-124.9 months). Those who achieved CMR showed significantly longer PFS and OS as compared with patients who did not (PMR, SMD, and PMD) (both P  less then  0.0001). In univariate analysis, initial clinical T status (P = 0.0048), N status (P = 0.011), and TNM stage (P = 0.0006), PERCIST (P  less then  0.0001), and reduction rate of peak lean body mass standardized uptake value (P  less then  0.0001), of metabolic tumor volume (P  less then  0.0001), and of total lesion glycolysis (TLG) (P  less then  0.0001) were associated with significantly increased OS. Multivariate analysis confirmed PERCIST [hazard ratio (HR) 13.15, 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.54-55.8; P  less then  0.0001], and TLG reduction rate (HR 2.21, 95% CI, 1.04-4.68; P = 0.040) as independent OS predictors. selleckchem CONCLUSION PERCIST is useful for evaluating therapeutic response to definitive chemoradiotherapy, and predicting progression and death in patients with esophageal cancer.INTRODUCTION Medical imaging is on average the largest source of artificial radiation exposure worldwide. This study seeks to understand patient's awareness of radiation exposure derived from nuclear medicine diagnostic scans and assess if current information provided by leaflets is adequate. METHODS Single-centre cross-sectional questionnaire study applied to bone scan and FDG PET/computed tomography patients, at a nuclear medicine and PET/computed tomography department over a 15-week period in 2018. Questionnaires on dose comparators were designed in collaboration with patients, public, and experts in radiation exposure. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis and quantitative data using SPSS (V. 24). RESULTS A total of 102 questionnaires were completed (bone scan = 50; FDG PET/computed tomography = 52). Across both groups, 33/102 (32.4%) patients reported having a reasonable understanding of nuclear medicine and 21/102 (20.6%) reported a reasonable knowledge of ionising radiations. When asked to compare the exposure dose of respective scans with common comparators 8/50 (16%) of bone scan patients and 11/52 (21.