Positron emission tomography for detecting clinically occult surgically resectable metastatic ovarian cancer.
BACKGROUND
The specific indications for PET imaging in patients with ovarian cancer have yet to be precisely defined. While PET has limited sensitivity for detecting small-volume (<1 cm) metastatic disease, accurate identification of larger tumor nodules may have a significant impact on clinical management and the selection of patients for cytoreductive surgery.


METHODS
The cases of two patients with suspected recurrent Stage IIIC serous ovarian cancer based solely on elevated CA125 levels and one patient with an apparent Stage IC poorly differentiated ovarian sex cord-stromal tumor who had macroscopic surgically resectable disease (>1 cm) identified by PET after negative or equivocal computed tomography are presented.


CONCLUSIONS
PET imaging may be a useful technique for identifying potentially surgically resectable, macroscopic metastatic ovarian cancer when computed tomography findings are negative or equivocal.
Bristow
Robert E
RE
The Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. rbristo@jhmi.edu
Simpkins
Fiona
F
Pannu
Harpreet K
HK
Fishman
Elliot K
EK
Montz
F J
FJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed