title: Diagnostic performance of fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging for detection of primary lesion and staging of endometrial cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG PET) imaging has been used for staging of endometrial cancer. In the current study, we systematically searched the available literature on the accuracy of (18)F-FDG PET imaging for staging of endometrial cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, SCOPUS, ISI Web of Knowledge, Science Direct, and Springer were searched using "endometr* AND PET" as the search terms. All studies evaluating the accuracy of (18)F-FDG PET in the staging of endometrial carcinoma were included. Statistical pooling of diagnostic accuracy indices was done using random-effects model. Cochrane Q test and I(2) index were used for heterogeneity evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen studies (807 patients in total) were included in the meta-analysis. Sensitivity and specificity for detection of the primary lesions were 81.8% (77.9%-85.3%) and 89.8% (79.2%-96.2%); for lymph node staging were 72.3% (63.8%-79.8%) and 92.9% (90.6%-94.8%); and for distant metastasis detection were 95.7% (85.5%-99.5%) and 95.4% (92.7%-97.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of low sensitivity, diagnostic utility of (18)F-FDG PET imaging is limited in primary tumor detection and lymph node staging of endometrial cancer patients. However, high specificities ensure high positive predictive values in these 2 indications. Diagnostic performance of (18)F-FDG PET imaging is much better in detection of distant metastases. Larger studies with better design are needed to draw any more definite conclusion.
authors.affiliation: *Nuclear Medicine Research Center and †Women's Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; and ‡Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT Centre, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Vahid Reza Dabbagh
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Kakhki
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shahriari
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Treglia
authors.forename: Malihe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasanzadeh
authors.forename: Seyed Rasoul
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Zakavi
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yousefi
authors.forename: Sima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kadkhodayan
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sadeghi
mesh_terms: D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18