Evaluation of integrated whole-body PET/CT in the detection of recurrent ovarian cancer

Purpose: To assess the usefulness and reliability of integrated whole-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients in whom recurrent ovarian cancer is suspected. Methods: Integrated whole-body PET/CT imaging was performed in 19 patients with suspected ovarian cancer recurrence. CT, PET and fused PET/CT images were evaluated separately and imaging results were compared with pathological findings and clinical follow-up after 6 months. Results: Of the 19 patients studied, 11 were found to have recurrent cancer. In 8 of these 11 patients, recurrence was diagnosed by CT, PET and fused PET/CT. In the remaining three patients, only PET and PET/CT showed a recurrent tumour, while CT was negative. Twelve localisations of ovarian cancer recurrence could be detected by CT, 17 by PET and 18 by PET/CT. In one patient with pulmonary metastases in CT and in the CT component of PET/CT, PET was negative. In the case of three metastases in the diaphragm, the spleen and the thoracic wall, respectively, the determination of the exact localisation was only possible by fused PET/CT. Conclusion: In patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, PET/CT detects more lesions than PET or CT alone. PET/CT permits the exact anatomical localisation of pathologic tracer uptake and can thus direct further treatment to the precise site of tumour recurrence. Hence, PET/CT should be considered for follow-up of patients with ovarian cancer