FDG PET in oesophagogastric cancer

Oesophagogastric cancer is one of the top ten cancers diagnosed worldwide and, despite advancements in therapy, has a relatively poor prognosis compared to other common cancers, with a fiveyear survival of only 15-20%. This group of cancers includes tumours of the oesophagus and gastro-oesophageal junction, which have similar disease characteristics. The role of PETCT in oesophagogastric malignancy has become of increasing importance over the last decade. The main role of this technique currently is in the staging of the tumour to plan the most appropriate therapy for each patient, alongside other techniques. However, pathways for investigation of oesophagogastric cancer will vary according to local services, and the timings and order of investigations are not universally transferrable to other regions. Gastric cancer is a separate entity to oesophagogastric cancer and there is no role for routine use of FDG PET in its management. This will not be considered any further in this article.