title: F-18 fluorodeoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography scan in the initial evaluation of patients with a primary melanoma thicker than 4 mm.
abstract: Metabolic imaging with F-18 fluorodeoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography is one of the most sensitive and non-invasive techniques, and has proved useful in melanoma. We designed, in 2004, at the Institute Gustave Roussy, a prospective study to determine the value of F-18 fluorodeoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography scanning in the detection of regional and/or distant metastasis in 25 new patients referred for the treatment of a primary melanoma thicker than 4 mm (tumor node metastases stage T4). The sentinel lymph node biopsy was proposed for all the patients without a palpable regional lymph node. Abnormal positron emission tomography scan findings were correlated to available histological data and to the course of the disease. The F-18 fluorodeoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography scan identified 0/2 intact primary melanomas, 1/4 residual primary melanomas after limited excision, 0/6 lymph node basins with micrometastasis, 4/4 lymph node basins with enlarged palpable lymph nodes and 0 distant metastasis. The sensitivity and specificity of positron emission tomography scans for microscopic lymph node disease in basins were, respectively, 0 and 92%. A false-positive F-18 fluorodeoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography result in a cervical basin led to a useless cervical lymph node dissection. In three patients, the positron emission tomography scan was positive in distant sites but none of these foci represented a true metastasis. In conclusion, it is not useful to include a positron emission tomography scan in the initial work-up of patients with primary melanoma, even in patients with thick primary melanomas (>4 mm). Sentinel lymph node biopsy remains the technique of choice for the most accurate initial staging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif Cedex, France. eve.maubec@bch.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maubec
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lumbroso
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Masson
authors.forename: Voichita
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Suciu
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kolb
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mamelle
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boitier
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spatz
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aupérin
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leboulleux
authors.forename: Marie-Françoise
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Avril
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18