Glycometabolism mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma and its application in PET

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal tumors and has high malignancy and low survival. Generally, the glucose metabolism in malignant tumors is significantly different from normal tissues, which show high uptake. However, it varies greatly in HCC. Low glucose metabolism is often observed in well- and moderately differentiated HCC. Furthermore, glycolysis has been widely confirmed to be a nonspecific biological phenomenon in malignant tumors, including HCC, by positron emission tomography (PET) combined with computed tomography using 18-fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose (a glucose analogue). However, to determine the value of PET and develop new effective drugs and molecular probes, we need to comprehensively understand how hepatocellular cancer cells use glucose to supply energy. In this article, we reviewed and summarized the glycometabolism characteristics of HCC and their application in PET.