[Role of the positron emission tomography (PET) in suspected tumor recurrence when there is increased serum tumor markers].
OBJECTIVE
Evaluate the usefulness of Positron Emission Tomography with 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) to detect lesions when tumor recurrences are suspected due to the progressive increase of tumor markers and the study of their extension with negative or non-conclusive morphostructural diagnostic techniques.


METHODS
Whole body FDG-PET was per-formed in 72 patients with different cancer diseases, 23 of whom had breast, 18 colorectal, 15 thyroid, 6 lung, 3 ovarian cancer and 7 had other types of cancers. Tumoral recurrence was suspected in all of the cases due to the progressive marker increase and negative or non-conclusive conventional studies.


RESULTS
FDG-PET detected lesions in 85% patients, 33% of which were confirmed by the end of the study. In 40% of all cases, therapeutics measures were applied, 14% of which consisted in surgery with intention to cure. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 96.4%, 75.6% and 93.9% respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Whole body FDG-PET is an accurate procedure in diagnosis of recurrent tumoral disease in patients with rising tumoral marker levels and with negative conventional morphostructural extension studies, and can make it possible to change the therapeutic approach in some cases.
Trampal
C
C
Centro PET Complutense. Madrid. director@petmadrid.com
Maldonado
A
A
Sancho Cuesta
F
F
Morales
S
S
Señor de Uría
C
C
Panadés
G
G
Ortega
F
F
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor