Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Platinum-sensitive Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: A Single-center Italian Study

Abstract

Aim: To assess the correlation between contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) and positron-emission tomography (PET)/CT results and surgical and pathological findings in patients with recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer who underwent secondary cytoreduction.

Patients and methods: ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) PET/CT with/without CE-CT were performed before 56 cytoreductive surgeries in 49 patients with suspicious recurrent ovarian cancer.

Results: ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT showed higher sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy compared with CE-CT for both the whole series (100% versus 90.6%, respectively, and 97.8% versus 85.3%), and the 24 cases in which both examinations were performed (100% versus 87.0% and, respectively, 95.8% versus 83.3%). The addition of CE-CT to ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT did not improve its diagnostic reliability.

Conclusion: ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT appears to be the more reliable imaging technique for the evaluation of patients with suspicious recurrent ovarian cancer, and for the selection of those more suitable for secondary cytoreductive surgery.

Keywords: Epithelial ovarian cancer; platinum-sensitive recurrence; positron-emission tomography/computed tomography; secondary cytoreductive surgery.