Source: Journal of Nuclear Medicine, March 2009; 103:615-619.

Purpose: Fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) is effective when used for the postoperative surveillance of advanced renal cell cancer and may offer advantages over conventional monitoring methods, according to Korean researchers.

Patients and Methods: To evaluate the approach, Dr. Hyun Moo Lee of Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, and colleagues studied 63 patients with renal cell cancer who had a high risk of local recurrence or distant metastasis.

During follow-up after surgery, both conventional methods and FDG-PET/CT were used to monitor the patients. Suspicious recurrent or metastatic lesions were evaluated by histopathology or by clinical follow-up.

Results: As reported in the March issue of BJU International, FDG-PET/CT accurately classified the presence of a recurrence or metastasis in 56 (89%) patients.

FDG PET/CT had a sensitivity of 89.5% and a specificity of 83.3%. Corresponding values for conventional methods including chest radiography and abdominopelvic CT, were not significantly different (94.7% and 80.0%, respectively).

Conclusion: The researchers observed that the "results were as good as conventional methods and were not influenced by the nuclear grades of cancer cells."

"In addition," they concluded, "it was possible to examine all organ systems in one procedure, and there was no need for contrast agents, that can damage renal function."