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Diagnostic value of surveillance 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT for detecting recurrent esophageal carcinoma after curative treatment

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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Esophageal carcinoma recurs within two years in approximately half of patients who receive curative treatment and is associated with poor survival. While 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is a reliable method of detecting recurrent esophageal carcinoma, in most previous studies FDG PET/CT scans were performed when recurrence was suspected. The aim of this study was to evaluate FDG PET/CT as a surveillance modality to detect recurrence of esophageal carcinoma after curative treatment where clinical indications of recurrent disease are absent.

Methods

A total of 782 consecutive FDG PET/CT studies from 375 patients with esophageal carcinoma after definitive treatment were reviewed. Abnormal lesions suggestive of recurrence on PET/CT scans were then evaluated. Recurrence was determined by pathologic confirmation or other clinical evidence within two months of the scan. If no clinical evidence for recurrence was found at least 6 months after the scan, the case was considered a true negative for recurrence.

Results

The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT for detecting recurrent esophageal carcinomas were 100% (64/64) and 94.0% (675/718), respectively. There were no significant differences in the diagnostic performance of PET/CT for detecting recurrence according to initial stage or time between PET/CT and curative treatments. Unexpected second primary cancers were detected by FDG PET/CT in seven patients.

Conclusions

Surveillance FDG PET/CT is a useful imaging tool for detection of early recurrence or clinically unsuspected early second primary cancer in patients with curatively treated esophageal carcinoma but without clinical suspicion of recurrence.

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Acknowledgments

This paper was supported by the following grant(s): The National R&D Program for Cancer Control, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Korea (1720180).

Funding

This study was funded by The National R & D Program for Cancer Control, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Korea (grant number 1720180).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 29 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, 03181, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Soo Jeong Kim

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81 Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 06351

    Seung Hyup Hyun, Seung Hwan Moon & Joon Young Choi

  3. Department of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Kyung Soo Lee

  4. Division of Hematology-Oncology Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Jong-Mu Sun

  5. Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Dongryul Oh & Yong Chan Ahn

  6. Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Jae Il Zo & Young Mog Shim

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  1. Soo Jeong Kim
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Correspondence to Joon Young Choi.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Oncology – Digestive Tract.

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Kim, S.J., Hyun, S.H., Moon, S.H. et al. Diagnostic value of surveillance 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT for detecting recurrent esophageal carcinoma after curative treatment. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 46, 1850–1858 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-019-04387-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-019-04387-4

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