Is there an impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT on the surveillance and clinical management of recurrent ovarian cancer? Research based on a large sample in a single PET/CT center

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) in the follow-up and clinical management of ovarian cancer patients after therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 152 ovarian cancer patients who had undergone therapy were evaluated. Clinical information, CA-125 levels, and traditional imaging findings were analyzed. According to the indication for PET/CT the patients were divided into five groups for assessing the role of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in the clinical management of ovarian cancer patients after therapy. A comparison was made between the PET/CT findings and the results of clinical follow-up. RESULTS: Of the 152 patients, 137 had follow-up results and 15 were lost to follow-up. A total of 105 patients were found to have recurrent tumor and 32 were found to be disease-free after long-term follow-up. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 98.3, 91.2, 96.8, 97.5, and 93.9%, respectively. PET/CT was especially useful in patients when indications were to diagnose suspected recurrence, assess disease progression, and evaluate therapeutic response. CONCLUSION: PET/CT has been proven to be extremely valuable in the evaluation of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer and is particularly helpful in guiding treatment planning.