Fig. 2

Schematics of a generic management of cancer patients: frequently, a conventional imaging exam (X-ray, CT, and alike) is performed before an additional, combined imaging exam (e.g., PET/CT) is ordered. Imaging may be followed by a biopsy procedure or genomic analysis to further differentiate the disease. A report is created and the oncologist decides on the choice of an appropriate therapy. It is evident that imaging is the gatekeeper to important clinical decision making and therapy deliveries. This cycle can be re-iterated multiple times during patient management and follow-up. The actual implementation of this patient management chart will be affected by the availability of imaging modalities, reimbursement guidelines and other locally variant healthcare regulations