Are MTV and TLG Accurate for Quantifying the Intensity of Brown Adipose Tissue Activation?

Recent research has suggested that one novel mechanism of action for anti-obesity medications is to stimulate the activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT). FDG PET/CT remains the gold standard for defining and quantifying BAT. SUVmax is the most often used quantification tool in clinical practice.

Off the Beaten Path in Oncology: Active Brown Adipose Tissue by Virtue of Molecular Imaging.

Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) is considered beneficial in diabetes and obesity, but it can also have negative effects such as its implication in tumours' pathogenesis and the development of Cancer-induced Cachexia. Since F-FDG PET/CT is a common molecular imaging modality used in cancer assessment, we aim to study the F-FDG BAT biodistribution in oncological patients and look for possible correlations between BAT activity and different malignancies as well as the patient's weight status. After analysing the total number of oncological F-FDG PET/CT scans between 2017 and 2021, we selected patients with active BAT.