Role of PET or PET/CT in the post-therapy surveillance of uterine sarcoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical accuracy and clinical impact of positron emission tomography (PET) or positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in detecting and treating tumor recurrence in patients with treated uterine sarcoma.


METHODS
Results of 36 patients who underwent PET or PET/CT in post-therapy surveillance of uterine sarcoma were retrospectively assessed. Histopathologic confirmation or clinical/radiological outcome at least 6 months after PET or PET/CT was standard of reference.


RESULTS
The 36 patients underwent 48 PET or PET/CT scans as part of post-therapy surveillance. Thirty scans (8 PET and 22 PET/CT) were performed due to suspicion of disease recurrence on CT, whereas 18 scans (4 PET and 14 PET/CT) were performed as part of routine post-therapy surveillance in asymptomatic patients. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of PET or PET/CT were 92.9%, 100%, 94.4%, 100% and 80%, respectively, in patients with suspected recurrence and 87.5%, 95.5%, 93.3%, 87.5% and 95.5%, respectively, in asymptomatic patients. PET or PET/CT influenced the management of 12 patients (33.3%), by initiation of previously unplanned treatment in 8 patients and by avoidance of previously planned treatment in 4 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
PET or PET/CT was highly effective in discriminating true recurrence in patients with suspected recurrence and was highly sensitive in detecting recurrence in asymptomatic patients. It had impacts on clinical decision making in a high proportion of patients.
Park
Jeong-Yeol
JY
Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Eyu Nyong
EN
Kim
Dae-Yeon
DY
Suh
Dae-Shik
DS
Kim
Jong-Hyeok
JH
Kim
Yong-Man
YM
Kim
Young-Tak
YT
Nam
Joo-Hyun
JH
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000628:therapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*