Widely used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, this compound acts as a radioactive tracer when labeled with fluorine-18. It enables visualization of metabolic activity in tissues by mimicking glucose uptake in cells. Due to elevated glucose metabolism in cancer cells, it helps detect tumors, assess cancer staging, and monitor treatment response. It is also applied in cardiology to evaluate myocardial viability and in neurology to map brain function, particularly in epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Its accumulation in tissues reflects glucose utilization, making it a key tool in functional imaging across oncology, neurology, and cardiology.