2 Phase Comparison of Pre-operative CT and PET Images for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients with histologically-confirmed colorectal carcinoma and preoperative PET scan with evidence of hypermetabolic lesions suspicious for cancer will be eligible for this study. In cases of primary cancer, there must be a tissue-confirmed diagnosis. In recurrent cases, patients must have clinical evidence by CT or MRI of disease suitable for resection.
• Patients must be candidates for clinically indicated surgery.
• Patients with recurrent disease may have had prior surgery and/or chemotherapy with no limit to the number of prior therapeutic procedures or chemotherapeutic regimens.
• Patients must have a performance status of 0, 1 or 2 by ECOG(Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group)standards.
• Patients must give written informed consent including consent to have IV line placed for FDG administration.
• Patients must be at least 18 years of age. Children under the age of 18 are excluded from the study due to the rarity of colorectal cancer in children.
• Because radiolabeled agents are known to be teratogenic, women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use an acceptable form of contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of the study participation. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.
• Organ function requirements: Patients must have organ and marrow function adequate to undergo laparotomy. Specifically:
• Serum creatinine 4, 000/mm3 or ANC(absolute neutrophil count)> 1,500/mm3
• Platelets > 100,000/mm3
• Hgb >10g/dl
• Patient must have no clinically significant cardiac disease (New York Heart Association Class III/IV); no serious infection requiring treatment with antibiotics; no other serious ill-ness or illness requiring the use of steroids; no clinically significant pulmonary disease or other illness that would contraindicate or increase the risk of complications at surgery.
• Fasting blood sugar less than 120 mg/dl

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients with active CNS (central nervous system)tumor involvement are ineligible.
• Any patient who has retained childbearing potential will not be pregnant or lactating and must use adequate contraception to assure avoidance of conception.
• Body size prohibits use of the diagnostic equipment (portable CT scanner).
• Tumor burden is so great (as determined by preoperative PET scanning or intraoperative findings) that further surgery is not advised.
• If lesions are detected with preoperative CT but not with PET scanning (in other words, all patients will have a positive PET scan as part of the inclusion criteria).