Systematic Review on the Accuracy of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography and Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Management of Ovarian Cancer: Is Functional Information Really Needed?

Peritoneal Carcinomatosis of Malignant Gynecological Origin: A Systematic Review of Imaging Assessment

This systematic review, conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, aims to comprehensively assess the current state of the art of imaging modalities for the evaluation of peritoneal carcinomatosis arising from malignant gynecological origins, with a focus on ovarian and endometrial cancers. A systematic search of relevant databases was performed, adhering to predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies reporting the use of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET), PET/CT, and PET/MRI in the assessment of peritoneal carcinomatosis from gynecological malignancies were included. The review encompasses an overview of selected studies, highlighting the strengths and limitations of each imaging modality in diagnosing and characterizing peritoneal carcinomatosis. Overall, a wide variability in the reported accuracy of different imaging techniques emerges from literature, mainly due to the type of the study, technical issues, and patient characteristics. Although a meta-analysis could not be performed due to a scarcity of data, this systematic review provides valuable insights into the several imaging approaches used in peritoneal carcinomatosis of gynecological origin. The findings aim to inform clinical decision making and guide future research endeavors in this critical aspect of gynecological oncology.

18F-FDG PET/MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT for the Management of Gynecological Malignancies: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

OBJECTIVE

Positron emission tomography with 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18] fluoro- D-glucose integrated with computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (18F-FDG PET/MRI) has emerged as a promising tool for managing various types of cancer. This review study was conducted to investigate the role of 18F- FDG PET/CT and FDG PET/MRI in the management of gynecological malignancies.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched for relevant articles in the three databases PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All studies reporting data on the FDG PET/CT and FDG PET MRI in the management of gynecological cancer, performed anywhere in the world and published exclusively in the English language, were included in the present study.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used the EndNote software (EndNote X8.1, Thomson Reuters) to list the studies and screen them on the basis of the inclusion criteria. Data, including first author, publication year, sample size, clinical application, imaging type, and main result, were extracted and tabulated in Excel. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the modalities were extracted and summarized.

MAIN RESULTS

After screening 988 records, 166 studies published between 2004 and 2022 were included, covering various methodologies. Studies were divided into the following five categories: the role of FDG PET/CT and FDG-PET/MRI in the management of: (a) endometrial cancer (n = 30); (b) ovarian cancer (n = 60); (c) cervical cancer (n = 50); (d) vulvar and vagina cancers (n = 12); and (e) gynecological cancers (n = 14).

CONCLUSIONS

FDG PET/CT and FDG PET/MRI have demonstrated potential as non-invasive imaging tools for enhancing the management of gynecological malignancies. Nevertheless, certain associated challenges warrant attention.

Intense 68Ga-FAPI-46 Activity in Lesions of Recurrent Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma That Were Negative on FDG PET/CT Study

ABSTRACT

A 55-year-old woman with recurrent ovarian clear cell carcinoma who underwent complete surgical staging and completed chemotherapy session approximately 7 months before. She presented with increased CA-125 levels. 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET showed significantly higher tumor-to-background contrast of recurrent intra-abdominal node metastases and distant metastases, which were undetectable in the 18F-FDG PET. These findings changed the patient management. Larger studies with comparisons with other imaging modalities are required to validate the diagnostic performance.

The Development of Nanoparticles for the Detection and Imaging of Ovarian Cancers

Ovarian cancer remains as one of the most lethal gynecological cancers to date, with major challenges associated with screening, diagnosis and treatment of the disease and an urgent need for new technologies that can meet these challenges. Nanomaterials provide new opportunities in diagnosis and therapeutic management of many different types of cancers. In this review, we highlight recent promising developments of nanoparticles designed specifically for the detection or imaging of ovarian cancer that have reached the preclinical stage of development. This includes contrast agents, molecular imaging agents and intraoperative aids that have been designed for integration into standard imaging procedures. While numerous nanoparticle systems have been developed for ovarian cancer detection and imaging, specific design criteria governing nanomaterial targeting, biodistribution and clearance from the peritoneal cavity remain key challenges that need to be overcome before these promising tools can accomplish significant breakthroughs into the clinical setting.

Evaluation of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer before primary treatment: correlation between tumour burden assessed by [18F]FDG PET/CT volumetric parameters and tumour markers HE4 and CA125

OBJECTIVES

Accurate assessment of disease extent is required to select the best primary treatment for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Estimation of tumour burden is challenging and it is usually performed by means of a surgical procedure. Imaging techniques and tumour markers can help to estimate tumour burden non-invasively. 2-[¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT allows the evaluation of the whole-body disease. This study aimed to correlate HE4 and CA125 serum concentrations with tumour burden evaluated by volumetric 2-[¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT parameters in advanced high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODS

We included 66 patients who underwent 2-[¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT and serum tumour markers determination before primary treatment. Volumes of interest were delimited in every pathological uptake. Whole-body metabolic tumour volume (wb_MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (wb_TLG) were calculated summing up every VOI's MTV value. SUVmax thresholds were set at 40% (MTV40 and TLG40) and 50% (MTV50 and TLG50). In addition, four VOI subgroups were defined: peritoneal carcinomatosis, retroperitoneal nodes, supradiaphragmatic nodes, and distant metastases. MTV and TLG were calculated for each group by adding up the corresponding MTV values. TLG was calculated likewise.

RESULTS

wb_MTV and wb_TLG were found to be significantly correlated with serum CA125 and HE4 concentrations. The strongest correlation was observed between HE4 and wb_MTV40 (r = 0.62, p < 0.001). Pearson's correlation coefficients between peritoneal carcinomatosis MTV40 and tumour markers were 0.61 (p < 0.0001) and 0.29 (p = 0.02) for HE4 and CA125 respectively. None of these tumour markers showed a positive correlation with tumour load outside the abdominal cavity assessed by volumetric parameters.

CONCLUSION

HE4 performs better than CA125 to predict metabolic tumour burden in high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer before primary treatment. 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT volumetric parameters arise as feasible tools for the objective assessment of tumour load and its anatomical distribution. These results support the usefulness of HE4 and PET/CT to improve the stratification of these patients in clinical practice.

KEY POINTS

• In patients with high-grade advanced ovarian epithelial carcinoma, both CA125 and HE4 correlate to whole-body tumour burden assessed by PET/CT before primary treatment. • HE4 estimates peritoneal disease much better than CA125. • PET/CT volumetric parameters arise as feasible tools for the objective assessment of tumour load and its anatomical distribution.

ADNEX Model-Based Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer Using MRI Images

This exploration aims to investigate the important role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer under the ADNEX. From March 2017 to December 2019, 84 patients with ovarian cancer confirmed by pathological operation were selected as the research objects. The consistency of ADNEX, MRI, and ADNEX∗MRI in the diagnosis and staging of ovarian cancer was calculated separately. SPSS 26.0 statistical software was used to compare the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic value of the two diagnostic methods. The results show that the accuracy and sensitivity of ADNEX are 78.6% and 93.2%, respectively. The accuracy and sensitivity of MRI are 81.2% and 89.4%, respectively. There is no significant difference between the two methods (p < 0.05). The overall consistency rates of ADNEX∗MRI, MRI diagnosis, and ADNEX for ovarian cancer staging are 94.2%, 74%, and 65.4%, respectively. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05). ADNEX∗MRI and MRI diagnosis were compared with each stage of ADNEX. There is a significant difference between the second and fourth stages (p < 0.05), and there is also a significant difference in the fourth stage (p < 0.017). It is concluded that MRI diagnosis of ovarian cancer based on ADNEX is superior to ADNEX and MRI examination alone, which provides a certain reference value for clinical staging of ovarian cancer.

EANM guideline on the role of 2-[18F]FDG PET/CT in diagnosis, staging, prognostic value, therapy assessment and restaging of ovarian cancer, endorsed by the American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM), the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

In most patients with ovarian carcinoma, the diagnosis is reached when the disease is long past the initial stages, presenting already an advanced stage, and they usually have a very bad prognosis. Cytoreductive or debulking surgical procedures, platinum-based chemotherapy and targeted agents are key therapeutic elements. However, around 7 out of 10 patients present recurrent disease within 36 months from the initial diagnosis. The metastatic spread in ovarian cancer follows three pathways: contiguous dissemination across the peritoneum, dissemination through the lymphatic drainage and, although less importantly in this case, through the bloodstream. Radiological imaging, including ultrasound, CT and MRI, are the main imaging techniques in which management decisions are supported, CT being considered the best available technique for presurgical evaluation and staging purposes. Regarding 2-[¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT, the evidence available in the literature demonstrates efficacy in primary detection, disease staging and establishing the prognosis and especially for relapse detection. There is limited evidence when considering the evaluation of therapeutic response. This guideline summarizes the level of evidence and grade of recommendation for the clinical indications of 2-[¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT in each disease stage of ovarian carcinoma.

Diagnostic performance of PET/CT and PET/MR in the management of ovarian carcinoma-a literature review

Ovarian cancer is a challenging disease. It often presents at an advanced stage with frequent recurrence despite optimal management. Accurate staging and restaging are critical for improving treatment outcomes and determining the prognosis. Imaging is an indispensable component of ovarian cancer management. Hybrid imaging modalities, including positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are emerging as potential non-invasive imaging tools for improved management of ovarian cancer. This review article discusses the role of PET/CT and PET/MRI in ovarian cancer.

Update on the secondary cytoreduction in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer: a narrative review

The ovarian cancer recurrence occurs in 75% of patients with advanced FIGO stage, and its treatment is a challenge for the oncologist in gynecology. The standard treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) usually includes intravenous chemotherapy according to platinum sensitivity. Furthermore, maintenance treatment with target therapies [e.g., anti-angiogenic drug or PARP inhibitors (PARPi)], should be provided if not precedently administrated. In this scenario, secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS) remains a practical but controversial option for platinum-sensitive ROC (PSROC). So far, several retrospective series and a Cochrane meta-analysis had concluded that SCS could determine better survival outcomes in ROC with favorable prognostic characteristics, such as the presence of a single anatomical site of recurrence, or when patients are accurately selected for surgery based on complete resection’s predictive models. Recently, three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) investigated the role of SCS in PSROC patients selected with different criteria. All the three RCTs showed a significant statistical advantage in progression-free survival (PFS) in the SCS group, with an even more significant difference in patients with complete cytoreduction (about 7-month PFS increased). Data on overall survival (OS) are different in the two completed trials. The GOG213 study has documented a longer OS of PSROC patients who received chemotherapy alone compared to surgery plus chemotherapy. Contrarily, the DESKTOP III trial showed 7.7 months of increased OS in the surgery group vs. chemotherapy alone, with a more difference in the complete tumor cytoreduction (CTC) group (12 months). These RCTs thereby suggest that undergoing complete cytoreduction may not be the only key and that the disease biology may also matter. Few recent retrospective series investigated the role of SCS according to BRCA mutation status and the effect of SCS in patients receiving emerging PARPi. A consequence of the developments in SCS and knowledge of different molecular pathways influencing the recurrent disease is that the future research objective should be to individualize and personalize the surgical approach.

Long-term palliation of lymph node oligometastatic ovarian carcinoma after repeated stereotactic body radiotherapy: case report

INTRODUCTION

Oligometastatic disease has emerged as an intermediate state between localized and systemic cancer. Improvements in diagnostic modalities such as functional imaging allow a greater frequency of oligometastases diagnosis. Patients with selected oligometastatic epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) may be treated with metastasis-directed stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) rather than chemotherapy.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We describe a 58-year-old woman who underwent surgery and chemotherapy for an EOC. The patient underwent 3 chemotherapy lines for recurrence of disease, but had allergic reactions and serious hematologic toxicity. During follow-up, lymph node oligometastases were diagnosed and treated with repeated SBRT because the patient refused further chemotherapy. No side effects were observed after each course of SBRT and the patient obtained complete response of all irradiated sites.

CONCLUSIONS

SBRT is a promising treatment approach for recurrent oligometastatic EOC with a high control rate and irrelevant iatrogenic toxicity. The possibility to repeat SBRT courses when new oligometastases are encountered in other sites resulted in an adequate long-term palliation approach.

Accuracy of peritoneal carcinomatosis extent diagnosis by initial FDG PET CT in epithelial ovarian cancer: A multicentre study of the FRANCOGYN research group

INTRODUCTION

Peritoneal carcinomatosis extent in ovarian cancer is difficult to evaluate by imaging techniques even though it determines the surgical complexity and survival. The aim of this study was to estimate the accuracy of 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG)-PET CT (Positron-emission tomography coupled with Computerised Tomography) performed before any treatment, in the diagnosis of the extent of peritoneal carcinomatosis. We compared these results to per-operative observations/ histology samples obtained during surgery (laparotomy/ laparoscopy).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All women managed for an epithelial ovarian cancer between 1st January 2000 and 30th June 2016 were included if they had a FDG PET CT, before initiation of any treatment (neoadjuvant chemotherapy or frontline cytoreductive surgery). The extent of disease on histology samples from cytoreductive surgery/observations during exploratory laparoscopy were compared with the PET CT results.

RESULTS

Over the study period, 980 women were managed for epithelial ovarian cancer, among them 90 (9.2 %) had a PET CT before any treatment. The diagnostic reliability of an ovarian lesion was 67.8 %, a colon lesion was 61.25 %, a small intestine lesion was 50.6 %, an epiploic lesion was 41.7 %, a pelvic ganglionic invasion was 62.9 % and a paraortic lymph node invasion was 61.5 %. PET CT was less effective than a standard CT examination.

CONCLUSION

PET CT is not the most effective imaging examination to estimate the extent of peritoneal carcinomatosis during the initial management of an epithelial ovarian cancer.

Voxel-wise analysis of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose metabolism in correlation with variations in the presentation of Alzheimer’s disease: a clinician’s guide

BACKGROUND Diagnostic imaging can be applied in the management of Alzheimer’s disease as it provides structural and functional information to exclude possible secondary causes and offers additional information, especially in atypical cases of Alzheimer’s disease. The utility of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) can help in the noninvasive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease by voxel-wise quantification of cerebral 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) metabolism.  METHODS This prospective study was conducted among 10 subjects with Alzheimer’s disease and 10 healthy control subjects who underwent neuropsychological testing and 18F-FDG PET/CT scans. Images of the brain were postprocessed using voxel-wise analysis and segmented into 20 regions of interest. The standardized uptake value (SUV)max/SUVmean/standard deviation of SUVmean results were analyzed accordingly and correlated with the subjects’ Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) results that were adjusted for age and education level.  RESULTS Hypometabolism at the right parietal lobe significantly correlated with increasing age and lower MoCA scores. Global hypometabolism was observed in subjects who had advanced Alzheimer’s disease but preserved primary somatosensory cortices (S1) region metabolism. Predominance of frontal lobe hypometabolism was a feature of subjects with Alzheimer’s disease having associated depressive symptoms.  CONCLUSIONS 18F-FDG PET/CT voxel-wise analysis can be used for quantitative assessment and can assist clinicians in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other variations of the disease spectrum.

Performance of pre-treatment ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography for detecting metastasis in ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

We describe a systematic review and meta-analysis of the performance of ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for detecting metastasis in ovarian cancer.

METHODS

MEDLINE and Embase were searched for diagnostic accuracy studies that used ¹⁸F-FDG PET or PET/CT for pre-treatment staging, using surgical findings as the reference standard. Sensitivities and specificities were pooled and plotted in a hierarchic summary receiver operating characteristic plot. Potential causes of heterogeneity were explored through sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS

Eight studies with 594 patients were included. The overall pooled sensitivity and specificity for metastasis were 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.61-0.81) and 0.93 (95% CI=0.85-0.97), respectively. There was considerable heterogeneity in sensitivity (I²=97.57%) and specificity (I²=96.74%). In sensitivity analyses, studies that used laparotomy as the reference standard showed significantly higher sensitivity and specificity (0.77; 95% CI=0.67-0.87 and 0.96; 95% CI=0.92-0.99, respectively) than those including diagnostic laparoscopy (0.62; 95% CI=0.46-0.77 and 0.84; 95% CI=0.69-0.99, respectively). Higher specificity was shown in studies that confirmed surgical findings by pathologic evaluation (0.95; 95% CI=0.90-0.99) than in a study without pathologic confirmation (0.69; 95% CI=0.24-1.00). Studies with a lower prevalence of the FDG-avid subtype showed higher specificity (0.97; 95% CI=0.94-1.00) than those with a greater prevalence (0.89; 95% CI=0.80-0.97).

CONCLUSION

Pre-treatment ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT shows moderate sensitivity and high specificity for detecting metastasis in ovarian cancer. With its low false-positive rate, it can help select surgical approaches or alternative treatment options.

Pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer: utility of a scoring system to predict outcomes

Background

Growing evidence supports the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Currently, there is no shared histopathologic scoring system to assess pathologic response in the specimens obtained at interval surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy This review aims to summarize the literature on pathologic response, focusing on proposed scoring systems.

Methods

The systematic review was conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, focusing on the definition of pathologic response, its prognostic value, possible predictors, and future implications. Eighteen manuscripts focusing on pathologic response in epithelial ovarian cancer were selected for analysis.

Results

Overall, eight histopathologic scoring systems to evaluate pathologic response have been proposed. There are currently no available markers (serum, radiological, genomic) to select which patients could achieve the highest benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy experiencing a complete pathologic response. A three-tier scoring system (CRS) based on omental assessment and which classifies the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been validated in external cohorts of epithelial ovarian cancer. This scoring system demonstrated adequate interobserver reproducibility. Data is limited on the pathologic complete response rate changes according to chemotherapy regimen.

Conclusions

A histopathologic scoring system endowed with prognostic value could be helpful in personalizing the treatment decision in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Imaging strategy in recurrent ovarian cancer: a practical review

Ovarian cancer is one of the most aggressive gynaecologic malignancies in women worldwide. The lack of proper screening programs and the characteristic abdominal spreading with minimal clinical symptoms give rise of its high lethality. Most patients show advanced disease at diagnosis and have a poor prognosis. The surveillance of ovarian cancer patients after initial treatment is a challenging question in clinical practice and there is no consensus in literature about the most appropriate follow-up strategy for these women. The role of Imaging has become increasingly important, allowing to properly monitor patients, distinguishing the different relapse patterns, thus guiding the correct management and therapy. In this review, we report and analyze the scientific evidence about the role of the different imaging modalities now available in the follow-up strategy and management of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer patients with recurrent disease.

Magnetic resonance imaging findings for discriminating clear cell carcinoma and endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary

BACKGROUND

Common cancerous histological types associated with endometriosis are clear cell carcinoma (CCC) and endometrioid carcinoma (EC). CCC is regarded as an aggressive, chemoresistant histological subtype. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers some potential advantages to diagnose ovarian tumors compared with ultrasonography or computed tomography. This study aimed to identify MRI features that can be used to differentiate between CCC and EC.

METHODS

We searched medical records of patients with ovarian cancers who underwent surgical treatment at Nara Medical University Hospital between January 2008 and September 2018; we identified 98 patients with CCC or EC who had undergone preoperative MRI. Contrasted MRI scans were performed less than 2 months before surgery. Patients were excluded from the study if they had no pathology, other pathological subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer, and/or salvage treatment for recurrence and metastatic ovarian cancer at the time of study initiation. Clinically relevant variables that were statistically significant by univariate analysis were selected for subsequent multivariate regression analysis to identify independent factors to distinguish CCC from EC.

RESULTS

MRI of CCC and EC showed a large cystic heterogeneous mixed mass with mural nodules protruding into the cystic space. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the growth pattern (broad-based nodular structures [multifocal/concentric sign] or polypoid structures [focal/eccentric sign]), surface irregularity (a smooth/regular surface or a rough/irregular/lobulated surface), "Width" of mural nodule, "Height-to-Width" ratio (HWR), and presence of preoperative ascites were factors that significantly differed between CCC and EC. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the growth pattern of the mural nodule (odds ratio [OR] = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.013-0.273, p = 0.0004) and the HWR (OR = 3.71, 95% CI: 1.128-13.438, p = 0.036) were independent predictors to distinguish CCC from EC.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, MRI data showed that the growth pattern of mural nodules and the HWR were independent factors that could allow differentiation between CCC and EC. This finding may be helpful to predict patient prognosis before operation.

Optimization of surgical treatment of advanced ovarian cancer: a Spanish expert perspective

BACKGROUND

Optimal upfront treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer is complex and requires the adequate function of a multidisciplinary team. Specific standard of quality of care needs to be taken into consideration.

METHODS

A literature search in PubMed was performed using the following criteria: ("ovarian neoplasms"[MeSH Terms] OR ("ovarian"[All Fields] AND "neoplasms"[All Fields]) OR "ovarian neoplasms"[All Fields] OR ("ovarian"[All Fields] AND "cancer"[All Fields]) OR "ovarian cancer"[All Fields])"[Date - Publication]: "2018/01/14"[Date - Publication]).

RESULTS

This article describes how to optimize the surgical management of advanced ovarian cancer, to achieve the best results in terms of survival and quality of life. For this purpose, this document will cover aspects related to pre-, intra- and postoperative care of newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

Optimizing upfront treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer is complex and requires a structured quality management program including the wise judgment of a multidisciplinary team. Surgeries performed by gynecologic oncologists with formal training in cytoreductive techniques at referral centers are crucial factors to obtain better clinical and oncological outcomes. However, other factors such as the patient's clinical status, the hospital infrastructure and equipment, as well as the tumor biology of each individual patient should also be taken into account before deciding on an initial therapeutic strategy for advanced-stage ovarian cancer to offer patients the best quality of care.

Secondary cytoreductive surgery - viable treatment option in the management of platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the secondary cytoreductive surgery on survival parameters in women with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer who undergone secondary cytoreduction following chemotherapy compared to women who recieved chemotherapy alone.

STUDY DESIGN

In a retrospective study, data were rewieved from women who were diagnosed and treated with ovarian cancer and its primary platinum-sensitive recurrence at the University Hospital Brno in the Czech Republic between November 2009 and March 2016. Out of the total number of 62 patients with recurrence, 30 women underwent cytoreductive surgery plus chemotherapy and 32 were treated with chemotherapy alone. The good performance status expressed by ECOG score 0-1, the single site of recurrence regardless of platinum-free interval or multiple sites of recurrence but no carcinomatosis and platinum-free interval >12 months, and no or small-volume ascites (<500 ml) were considered inclusion criteria for cytoreductive surgery. Women not meeting these criteria were treated by chemotherapy alone. Descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Log-Rank test were used for statistical estimations.

RESULTS

The analysis confirmed more favorable prognosis in patient group treated with a combination secondary cytoreduction and chemotherapy. Mean disease-free survival (DFS) was 49.8 months (95% CI; 33.2-66.3) and mean overall survival (OS) stood at 54.0 months (95% CI; 39.4-68.6) in this patient cohort, while in patient group treated with chemotherapy alone it was found that mean DFS was 16.6 months (95% CI; 7.4-25.8) and mean OS stood at 26.2 months (95% CI; 16.6-35.8). When testing the difference between survival curves, statistically significant differences were observed in both DFS (p = 0.010) and OS (p = 0.007) rates between two treatment groups. Age < 60 years at the time of recurrence and zero macroscopic residual disease after secondary cytoreduction were identified as favorable prognostic factors for both DFS and OS in a multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Secondary cytoreductive surgery is acceptable as a viable treatment option for highly selected women with ovarian cancer recurrence. Complete resection is considered ultimate goal of secondary cytoreduction on condition that the balance between maximal survival gain and minimal operative morbidity will be kept.

Fludeoxyglucose F 18 PET/CT Assessment of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic cancers and one of the leading causes of cancer death in women. It is often asymptomatic in early stages, and thus most patients are diagnosed when it is of advanced stage. For these reasons, the role of biomarkers and tomographic imaging is crucial. Fludeoxyglucose F 18 PET/CT is a useful imaging modality in different clinical settings of the disease, overcoming some limits of conventional imaging and influencing prognosis and therapeutic approaches. PET/MR imaging is an emerging modality, and its potential role remains to be explored.