Pet CT Dilemma in Evaluating Paraaortic Lymph Nodes in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer?

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of metabolic parameters obtained at pretreatment [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]FDG PET/CT) in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. We hypothesize that these metabolic parameters could optimize the treatment decision and thus favor the outcome of patients suffering locally advanced cervical cancer.MethodsPatients with locally advanced cervical cancer underwent pretreatment PET/CT. Standard uptake values (maximum, mean, peak), metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis were measured in the tumor and in the hypermetabolic pelvic lymph nodes. The relationship between clinical, pathological, and PET/CT metabolic parameters with recurrence-free survival and overall survival was assessed by Cox regression analysis.Results115 patients with a median age of 52 years (range 23–77) presented with locally advanced cervical cancer. After a mean follow-up of 33.0 months after initiation of therapy, 26 patients (22.6%) recurred of which 17 patients had distant metastasis; 18 (15.7%) patients died. Recurrence-free survival at 2 and 5 years was 79.2% and 72.2%, respectively. The total lesion glycolysis of the tumor and the delay between diagnosis and treatment were significantly associated with recurrence-free survival in the multivariate analysis (HR 1.00, p=0.004, and HR 2.04, p=0.02, respectively). Only the total lesion glycolysis of the tumor ≥373.54 (HR 2.49, 95% CI 1.15 to 5.38; p=0.02) remained significant after log rank testing. Overall survival at 2 and 5 years was 91.7% and 68.8%, respectively. The number of PET-positive pelvic lymph nodes was the only independent prognostic factor for overall survival in the multivariate analysis (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.81; p=0.003).ConclusionTumor total lesion glycolysis and the number of positive pelvic lymph nodes on pretreatment PET/CT appear to be independent prognostic factors for recurrence and survival in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. This may help to select patients who may benefit from therapeutic optimization and closer surveillance.

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[18F]FDG-PET or PET/CT in the evaluation of pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer: A systematic review of the literature

Gynecologic Oncology ◽

10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.08.021 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 159 (2) ◽

pp. 588-596 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Judit A. Adam ◽

Pascal R. van Diepen ◽

Constantijne H. Mom ◽

Jaap Stoker ◽

Berthe L.F. van Eck-Smit ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Lymph Nodes ◽

Fdg Pet ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Advanced Cervical Cancer ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer ◽

Pet Ct ◽

18F Fdg

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How should we stage and tailor treatment strategy in locally advanced cervical cancer? Imaging versus para-aortic surgical staging

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer ◽

10.1136/ijgc-2020-001351 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (9) ◽

pp. 1434-1443

Author(s):

Alejandra Martinez ◽

Martina Aida Angeles ◽

Denis Querleu ◽

Gwenael Ferron ◽

Christophe Pomel

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Lymph Node Metastasis ◽

Lymph Nodes ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Surgical Staging ◽

Advanced Cervical Cancer ◽

Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer ◽

Node Metastasis ◽

Pet Ct

Para-aortic lymph node status at initial assessment is the most important prognostic factor and a key point for the therapeutic strategy in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. Undiagnosed lymph node metastasis is a major clinical problem as the finding of positive para-aortic lymph nodes leads to treatment modification, with a possible impact on disease free survival. When aortic lymph node disease is discovered, radiotherapy is extended to the para-aortic area, and other treatment modalities may be considered. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is the most accurate imaging examination to assess para-aortic extension in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. The gold standard to identify para-aortic extension remains histologic evaluation of the lymph nodes. Indeed, PET/CT fails to detect approximately 10–15% of patients with negative PET/CT aortic nodes who have lymph node metastasis on pathologic staging. Patients with positive pelvic lymph nodes have para-aortic extension in 25–30% of cases, and surgical staging will lead to treatment modification and probably to improved para-aortic and distant control. Surgical staging also avoids unnecessary toxicity associated with extended field radiation in approximately 75% of patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis. The best modality to identify para-aortic extension is histological evaluation of the lymph nodes, but the survival benefit of surgical staging remains controversial. On the other hand, current studies include a majority of patients without pelvic lymph node spread, who are likely to be those who will benefit the least from surgical staging.

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THE ROLE OF SURGICAL STAGE IN COMBINATION THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH LOCALLY ADVANCED CERVICAL CANCER

Problems in oncology ◽

10.37469/0507-3758-2019-65-5-749-755 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 65 (5) ◽

pp. 749-755

Author(s):

D. Reyes Santyago ◽

Anzhella Khadzhimba ◽

M. Smirnova ◽

Sergey Maksimov

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Radiation Therapy ◽

Combination Therapy ◽

Lymph Nodes ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Advanced Cervical Cancer ◽

Relapse Free Survival ◽

Regional Lymph Nodes ◽

Free Survival ◽

Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

Objective: to justify the expediency of the surgical stage as a part of the combination treatment for stage IIA-IIIB cervical cancer. Materials and methods. The study included 343 women with stage IIA-IIIB cervical cancer treated from 2013 to 2016 with mandatory follow-up for at least 2 years. Patients were divided into 2 groups. The first group included 214 patients who received a combination treatment. At the first stage, neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy was performed (remote radiation therapy 5 days a week with radio modification with Cisplatin once a week at a dose of 40 mg/m2). After evaluating the effect, patients were subjected to surgical treatment or continued chemoradiotherapy. The second group (n = 129) received standard combined radiation therapy. Various schemes of combination and complex treatment and standard combined radiation therapy were evaluated using the indices of general and relapse-free survival. Results. The proposed scheme for the combination therapy for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer showed significantly higher survival rates at all the analyzed stages. For the combined treatment group with complete cytoreduction, the two-year overall and relapse-free survival with stage IIA is 94.1% vs. 82.4%, with IIB 90.8% vs. 80.3%, with IIB 87.5% vs. 75%, with IIB with metastatic lesion of regional lymph nodes 85% vs. 70%. For the second group, two-year overall and relapse-free survival with stage IIA 75% vs. 50%, with IIB 70.9% vs. 56.3%, with IIB 59.1% vs. 40.9%, with IIB with metastatic lesion of regional lymph nodes 62.2% and 40.5%. The advantages of this approach are most clearly seen within patients with metastatic lesions of regional lymph nodes (85% vs. 62% accordingly). Conclusion. Cytoreductive surgery in combination with the combination therapy allows to achieve a significant increase in overall and relapse-free survival for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer compared with standard treatment programs.

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