The role of F-18-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (F-18-FDG PET) in diagnosis of ovarian cancer

We evaluated the clinical significance of F-18-FDG PET to detect malignant ovarian neoplasms and tumor spread. 40 patients (median age: 57.5 years) un derwent laparotomy because of clinical suspicion of malignant ovarian tumor s or recurrent disease. The results of the preoperatively performed PET wer e correlated with the postoperative histologic diagnosis and the intraopera tively assessed tumor spread. In 10 of 40 patients benign tumors were found , among which a tube-ovarian abscess was the only one diagnosed as false po sitive. 4/30 malignant neoplasms did not originate from the coelomic epithe lium, but all were correctly recognized as malignant tumors by PET, as was recurrent ovarian cancer in 12 patients. Out of 14 primary ovarian carcinom as, 2 borderline tumors and 1 well-differentiated adenocarcinoma FIGO stage I were not correctly identified. Considering the tumor type, sensitivity, and specificity were 90%, calculating for the positive and negative predict ive value 96% and 75%, respectively, and 90% for the diagnostic accuracy. T hose statistical parameters were slightly lower for PET detection of lymph node metastasis and peritoneal carcinomatosis. Although its diagnostic accu racy may vary depending on the clinical application, F-18-FDG PET is basica lly a suitable method for detecting ovarian malignancies, particularly in p atients with relapsed ovarian carcinoma.