Whole-body PET with FDG is useful for following up an ovarian cancer patient with only rising CA-125 levels within the normal range.
In April 2000, a 54-year-old woman underwent surgery for ovarian serous cell carcinoma (stage IIb). After initial treatment, the patient underwent a physical examination, ultrasound examination and measurement of serum CA-125 levels every month. Although neither diagnostic imaging (ultrasound and computed tomography) nor physical examination showed any evidence of recurrence, the CA-125 level rose slowly and continuously within the normal range. In March 2001, an increased accumulation of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in the pelvic cavity was seen on a positron emission tomography (PET) scan obtained 2 weeks before a relapse of a malignant lesion was diagnosed by gadolinium-enhanced MRI (Gd-MRI). It is reasonable to suppose that FDG-PET is clinically useful for detecting an early, small region of relapsed ovarian cancer. Moreover, FDG-PET may be helpful for determining whether a patient who has a continuous rising CA-125 level within the normal range should be treated in the absence of relapse regions detected by conventional methods.
Kurokawa
Tetsuji
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukui Medical University, Yoshida, Japan.
Yoshida
Yoshio
Y
Kawahara
Kazumi
K
Tsuchida
Tatsuro
T
Fujibayashi
Yasuhisa
Y
Yonekura
Yoshiharu
Y
Kotsuji
Fumikazu
F
D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods; D014915:Whole-Body Counting / Q000379:methods*
D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18