Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in abdominal and pelvic leiomyosarcoma: a literature review

  • Mini-Review
  • Published:
Clinical and Translational Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Abdominopelvic leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare soft tissue sarcoma of smooth muscle, becoming usually manifest with a compressive effect on adjacent structures. A biopsy sample is necessary to obtain the definitive diagnosis. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT), showing the most glucose-avid part of the tumor, can be useful in improving biopsy accuracy. Moreover, it seems to have a role in providing prognostic information and in distinguishing between high- and low-grade disease. The purpose of our study is to review current literature to summarize the emerging role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in abdominopelvic LMS.

Methods

PubMed/MEDLINE database was screened to find articles regarding the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in abdominopelvic LMS in different clinical settings (staging, restaging, treatment response, post-therapy surveillance). Terms “leiomyosarcoma” AND (“PET” OR “positron emission tomography”) were used.

Results

Eight studies exploring the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in abdominal and pelvic LMS patients were included. Different clinical settings and study aims were reported. A semiquantitative analysis of PET results was assessed in all included studies in addition to qualitative analysis, when performed. Data regarding 18F-FDG PET/CT diagnostic performance and imaging reference standard for validation of PET findings were reported in 3/8 and in 8/8 studies, respectively. The prognostic role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in LMS was analyzed in 3/5 studies; worse prognosis was reported for higher values of PET parameters.

Conclusion

Although additional studies are needed, 18F-FDG PET/CT seems to be a potential useful diagnostic tool in the clinical management of abdominopelvic LMS patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mangla A, Yadav U (2021) Leiomyosarcoma. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing

  2. von Mehren M, Randall RL, Benjamin RS et al (2018) Soft tissue Sarcoma, Version 2.2018, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 16(5):536–563. https://doi.org/10.6004/jnccn.2018.0025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Lazar A, Evans HL, Shipley J (2013) In: Fletcher CDM, Bridge JA, Hogendoorn PCW, Mertens F (eds) WHO classification of tumours of soft tissue and bone. IARC, pp 111–113

  4. Howlader NNA, Krapcho M, Miller D, et al. (2019) SEER cancer statistics review, 1975–2017, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2017/, based on November 2019 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, April 2020

  5. de Pinieux G, Karanian M, Le Loarer F et al (2021) Nationwide incidence of sarcomas and connective tissue tumors of intermediate malignancy over four years using an expert pathology review network. PLoS ONE 16(2):e0246958. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246958

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. George S, Serrano C, Hensley ML, Ray-Coquard I (2018) Soft tissue and uterine leiomyosarcoma. J Clin Oncol 36:144–150. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2017.75.9845

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Dunphy L, Sheridan G (2021) Uterine leiomyosarcoma: a rare clinical entity. BMJ Case Rep 14(8):e244233. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2021-244233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Roberts ME, Aynardi JT, Chu CS (2018) Uterine leiomyosarcoma: a review of the literature and update on management options. Gynecol Oncol 151(3):562–572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2018.09.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Gronchi A, Lo Vullo S, Fiore M et al (2009) Aggressive surgical policies in a retrospectively reviewed single-institution case series of retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma patients. J Clin Oncol 27(1):24–30. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2008.17.8871

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Bonvalot S, Rivoire M, Castaing M et al (2009) Primary retroperitoneal sarcomas: a multivariate analysis of surgical factors associated with local control. J Clin Oncol 27(1):31–37. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2008.18.0802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Yang JC, Chang AE, Baker AR et al (1998) Randomized prospective study of the benefit of adjuvant radiation therapy in the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity. J Clin Oncol 16(1):197–203. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.1998.16.1.197

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Strauss DC, Qureshi YA, Hayes AJ et al (2010) The role of core needle biopsy in the diagnosis of suspected soft tissue tumours. J Surg Oncol 102(5):523–529. https://doi.org/10.1002/jso.21600

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Gyorki DE, Choong PFM, Slavin J et al (2018) Importance of preoperative diagnosis for management of patients with suspected retroperitoneal sarcoma. ANZ J Surg 88(4):274–277. https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.14125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Young R, Snow H, Hendry S et al (2020) Correlation between percutaneous biopsy and final histopathology for retroperitoneal sarcoma: a single-centre study. ANZ J Surg 90(4):497–502. https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.15723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Eary J, Conrad E (2007) PET imaging: update on sarcomas. Oncology 21:249–252

    Google Scholar 

  16. Lorusso M, Angelico G, Quirino M, Scolozzi V, Calcagni ML (2021) 18F-FDG and 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT findings in a case of abdominal leiomyosarcoma. Clin Nucl Med 46(5):e270–e272. https://doi.org/10.1097/RLU.0000000000003474

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Niccoli-Asabella A, Altini C, Notaristefano A et al (2013) A retrospective study comparing contrast-enhanced computed tomography with 18F-FDG-PET/CT in the early follow-up of patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas. Nucl Med Commun 34(1):32–39. https://doi.org/10.1097/MNM.0b013e32835ae545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Park JY, Lee JW, Lee HJ et al (2017) Prognostic significance of preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT in uterine leiomyosarcoma. J Gynecol Oncol 28(3):e28. https://doi.org/10.3802/jgo.2017.28.e28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Bélissant O, Champion L, Thevenet H et al (2018) Value of 18F-FDG PET/CT i maging in the staging, restaging, monitoring of response to therapy and surveillance of uterine leiomyosarcomas. Nucl Med Commun 39(7):652–658. https://doi.org/10.1097/MNM.0000000000000848

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Ho KC, Dean Fang YH, Lin G et al (2018) Presurgical identification of uterine smooth muscle malignancies through the characteristic FDG uptake pattern on PET scans. Contrast Media Mol Imaging 19(2018):7890241. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/7890241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lee JW, Park JY, Lee HJ et al (2018) Preoperative [18F]FDG PET/CT tumour heterogeneity index in patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma: a multicentre retrospective study. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 45(8):1309–1316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-018-3975-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Wakamatsu T, Imura Y, Tamiya H et al (2021) 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography is useful in the evaluation of prognosis in retroperitoneal sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 13(18):4611. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13184611

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Subramaniam S, Callahan J, Bressel M et al (2021) The role of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in retroperitoneal sarcomas—a multicenter retrospective study. J Surg Oncol 123(4):1081–1087. https://doi.org/10.1002/jso.26379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Gao YJ, Yang Z, Yu JY et al (2021) Potential application value of PET/computed tomography in retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma and a literature review. Nucl Med Commun 42(7):800–810. https://doi.org/10.1097/MNM.0000000000001388

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sharma P, Kumar R, Singh H, Jeph S, Sharma JB, Jain SK, Sharma DN, Bal C, Malhotra A (2012) Role of FDG PET-CT in detecting recurrence in patients with uterine sarcoma: comparison with conventional imaging. Nucl Med Commun 33(2):185–190. https://doi.org/10.1097/MNM.0b013e32834e41a6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Hicks RJ, Toner GC, Choong PF (2005) Clinical applications of molecular imaging in sarcoma evaluation. Cancer Imaging 5(1):66–72. https://doi.org/10.1102/1470-7330.2005.0008

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, UOC di Medicina Nucleare, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Francesco Vito, 1, 00168, Rome, Italy

    Margherita Lorusso, Valentina Scolozzi, Silvia Taralli & Maria Lucia Calcagni

  2. Istituto di Medicina Nucleare, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy

    Maria Lucia Calcagni

Authors
  1. Margherita Lorusso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Valentina Scolozzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Silvia Taralli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Maria Lucia Calcagni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

ML: conception and design of the article, literature search and analysis, manuscript writing and critical revision; VS: design of the article, literature search and analysis, manuscript writing and critical revision; ST: literature search and analysis, manuscript writing and critical revision; MLC: conception and design of the article, manuscript writing and critical revision. All the authors approved the final version of the article.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Valentina Scolozzi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest or funding to disclose.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lorusso, M., Scolozzi, V., Taralli, S. et al. The role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in abdominal and pelvic leiomyosarcoma: a literature review. Clin Transl Imaging 11, 23–32 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40336-022-00526-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40336-022-00526-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation