RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Assessment of prognostic value of pretherapeutic (18)F-FDG PET/CT (PET). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 53 patients with invasive uterine cervix carcinoma. Each patient has been evaluated with pretherapeutic whole-body FDG PET/CT and pelvic MRI. Minimal follow-up lasted for 1 year. On PET/CT, we have visually analyzed metabolism of primary tumor, pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes in comparison with surrounding structures. We have compared prognostic factors as pretherapeutic haemoglobin rate, FIGO staging, MRI and PET/CT data using Mann-Whitney univariate analysis and Cox multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Para-aortic lymph node abnormal uptake on PET/CT was the only independent predictor of progression-free survival. Pelvic lymph node involvement on PET/CT was the only independent predictor of overall survival. MRI did not provide any additional information. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Lymph node involvement visually assessed by (18)F-FDG PET/CT was the most significant prognostic factor for overall and progression-free survival.
