Accuracy of PET-CT for detecting recurrent ovarian cancer is high

The accuracy of PET-CT for detecting recurrent ovarian cancer is high, more accurate even than either CT or PET alone, says a new study by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

For the study, the researchers reviewed 54 body CT, PET and PET-CT examinations on 53 patients with ovarian cancer who were being evaluated for tumor recurrence. The researchers found that PET-CT demonstrated an improved accuracy (49/53, 92%) over CT alone (44/53, 83%) and over PET alone (41/53, 77%).

"We undertook this study because PET-CT is a hot and emerging imaging technique, and its use continues to be evaluated for many indications in the abdomen and pelvis. Also, on CT it is difficult many times to detect ovarian cancer recurrence because of the presence of certain metastatic deposits," said Sunit Sebastian, MD, who is currently at Emory University School of Medicine and is lead author on the study.

According to the researchers, the results of their study could mean earlier and more definitive detection of recurrent ovarian cancer. "When you combine the advantages of the excellent anatomical depiction that CT gives us and the amount of functional information that PET give us, doctors are better able to monitor cancer patients and manage their treatment accordingly," said Dr. Sunit Sebastian.

The full results of the study were presented during the American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC.

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