Abstract
Introduction: To use positron emission tomography coupled with computed tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) to identify a high-risk subgroup requiring therapeutic intensification among patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) and para-aortic lymph node (PALN) involvement. Methods: In this retrospective multicentric study, patients with LACC and PALN involvement concurrently treated with chemoradiotherapy and extended-field radiotherapy (EFR) between 2006 and 2016 were included. A senior nuclear medicine specialist in PET for gynaecologic oncology reviewed all 18FDG-PET/CT scans. Metabolic parameters including maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were determined for the primary tumour, pelvic lymph nodes and PALN. Associations between these parameters and overall survival (OS) were assessed with Cox's proportional hazards model. Results: Sixty-eight patients were enrolled in the study. Three-year OS was 55.5% (95% CI (40.8-68.0)). When adjusted for age, stage and histology, pelvic lymph node TLG, PALN TLG and PALN SUVmax were significantly associated with OS (p<0.005). Conclusion: FDG-PET/CT was able to identify predictors of survival in the homogeneous subgroup of patients with LACC and PALN involvement, thus allowing therapeutic intensification to be proposed.
- Genitourinary
- Oncology: GYN
- PET/CT
- 18FDG-PET/CT
- SUVmax
- Total lesion glycolysis
- locally advanced cervical cancer
- para-aortic lymph node involvement
- Copyright © 2020 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.