title: Whole body positron emission tomography in follow-up of high risk melanoma.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical impact of whole body positron emission tomography (FDG PET) to detect clinically silent metastases in the follow-up of patients with high risk melanoma. FDG PET was performed to 30 asymptomatic melanoma patients (AJCC stage IIB-IIIC) 7-24 months after the primary surgery and sentinel node biopsy. FDG PET was able to detect six of seven recurrences, constituting 20% of all study patients. One patient presented with a negative FDG PET finding at the very first scanning, but was positive later in a repeated scan after manifestation of palpable mass in the axilla. The positive PET finding had an impact on treatment decisions in every case: three patients underwent surgical resection and four patients received chemotherapy or interferon. The mean follow-up time was 27 months (range, 12-48 months) and during that time the other 23 patients with true negative FDG PET were disease-free. One of the seven recurrences was in remission after surgical metastasectomy. In conclusion, whole body FDG PET is a valuable follow-up tool in high risk melanoma to diagnose recurrences and to select the patients, who are suitable for surgical metastasectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Turku University Hospital, Finland. ilkka.koskivuo@tyks.fi
authors.forename: Ilkka O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Koskivuo
authors.forename: Marko P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Seppänen
authors.forename: Erkki A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Suominen
authors.forename: Heikki R I
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Minn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18