Clinical value of positron emission tomography with FDG for recurrent ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE. Recurrence is often a major problem for patients who have underg one surgery for ovarian cancer. This prospective study was undertaken to ev aluate the clinical contribution of positron emission tomography (PET) usin g F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) for recurrent ovarian cancer. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Twenty-four women who had undergone surgery or chemor adiotherapy for histopathologically proven ovarian cancer were enrolled in this study. Ovarian cancer was thought to have recurred in 12 of these wome n because of evidence on conventional imaging modalities or tumor marker me asurements (group A). Clinical findings for the remaining 12 women showed t hem to be disease-free (group B). PET findings for the women were compared with the final diagnoses obtained by histopathology or by clinical follow-u p. The clinical contribution of PET was assessed by evaluating whether PET yielded information complementing the findings of conventional modalities a nd by examining its impact on treatment. RESULTS, PET gave valuable information for seven of 12 patients in group A in addition to the information obtained from findings on conventional imagi ng, and treatment was affected in five patients, On the other hand, in grou p B, additional information was obtained in only three of 12 patients, and treatment of only one patient was affected. Overall sensitivity, specificit y, and accuracy of conventional imaging modalities were 72.7%, 75.0%, and 7 3.3%, respectively, and these rates improved to 92.3%, 100.0%, and 94.4%, r espectively, by considering both conventional imaging modalities and PET fi ndings. CONCLUSION. Our preliminary data suggest that whole-body PET with FDG can b e a complementary modality for following up patients who have had ovarian c ancer, especially patients believed to be at risk for recurrence.