[Value of imaging for lymph node metastases from renal cell, bladder, prostate, penile, and testicular cancers].

Computed tomography (CT) imaging is the standard method for the assessment of lymph node metastases in renal cell and testicular cancer. In bladder cancer and prostate cancer the results of CT are not convincing due to a large number of false-negative findings and the prognostic relevance of undetected metastases. For both entities recent studies revealed that MR lymphography using iron oxide particles allows the detection of small metastatic lymph nodes. For penile cancer reliable results for imaging of lymph node metastases do not exist. PET imaging using [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is the modality of choice in therapy control of seminomas but has no defined value in other urological malignancies. PET with [(11)C] choline and [(11)C] acetate offers great potential in staging and restaging of prostate cancer. Further investigations are necessary to determine the role of these new methods.