Bluegrass Regional Imaging

PET/CT Scan Could Be Valuable Noninvasive Tool for Determining Stages of Ovarian Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer deaths among American women.  It is estimated that more than 22,000 new cases and more than 15,000 deaths attributed to ovarian cancer are expected this year.  Once a woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the first line of treatment is almost always major abdominal surgery to determine if the cancer has spread outside her ovaries.

Researchers at the Society of Nuclear Medicine, an international organization dedicated to increasing understanding and sound practice of molecular imaging, recently found that a single PET/CT scan in the early stages of ovarian cancer can enable physicians to determine whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes without having to perform surgery.  As a result, unnecessary surgeries could be reduced, which would also lower morbidity rates and postoperative complications.

According to Luca Guerra, doctor of nuclear medicine at San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy, and lead researcher on this study, preliminary research indicates that using PET/CT technology could greatly improve quality of life for many women to forego major surgery to determine whether their cancer has spread.  It's a much safer alternative for determining the stages of ovarian cancer," said Guerra.

Systematic lymphadenectomy (surgically removing all of the lymph nodes for testing rather than sampling a small number) is accurate in determining whether the cancer has spread, but the surgery is long, often requires blood transfusions,m and can result in life-threatening complications.  If all early stage ovarian cancer patients underwent lymphadenectomy, approximately 75 percent of the surgeries would prove unnecessary, according to Guerra.

While CT and MRI technologies are useful in determining surgery in advanced cases of the disease, both have limited accuracy in determining stages of ovarian cancer. 

In their research, Guerra and his team examined results of 30 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer who underwent PET/CT scanning before surgery to determine the stage of their disease.  The results indicated that PET/CT staging was correct in 67 percent of patients and more than 98 percent accurate in scanning the lymph nodes of stage 1 and stage 2 ovarian cancer patients.

Previous studies that examined the potential of PET technologies have not indicated a definite role in the staging of ovarian cancer because many of the studies involved used only PET scanners rather than a state-of-the-art, combined PET/CT scanner like that used at BLUEGRASS REGIONAL IMAGING.  A combined scanner allows both PET and CT scans to be performed simultaneously, removing problems with patient movement and therefore allowing better diagnosis of cancerous masses.

Scientific Paper 440:  L. Guerra, M. Arosio, M. Mussarra, Department of Nuclear Medicine; with A. Garbi, C. Mandioni, Gynaecological Division, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy; C. Crivellaro, S. Sironi, School of Medicine, all of University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy; C. Messa, IBFM-CNR-Institute for Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, Milan, Italy; F. Fazio, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy, "18F-FDG PET/CT Usefulness in Initial Staging of Ovarian Cancer," SNM's 55th Annual Meeting, June 14-18, 2008.