Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose has been widely used for analyzing cellular metabolism. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between the diagnostic value of PET/computed tomography (CT) in patients with post-operative recurrent and metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), and the different levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). A total of 105 suspected recurrent and metastatic CRC patients (67 males and 38 females; mean age, 48.5 years) were included in this retrospective study. All the patients underwent PET/CT examination. The differences in the PET/CT diagnostic values of CEA-positive and -negative patients with recurrent CRC following surgery were retrospectively analyzed and compared. Among the 105 CRC patients, 87 exhibited recurrence and metastasis, as confirmed by histopathological diagnosis or clinical follow-up data. By contrast, the PET/CT examination results revealed that 85 cases were true positives (a false positive foci was diagnosed in one of the patients), 18 were true negatives and 2 were false negatives. Correspondingly, the sensitivity and degree of accuracy were 97.7 and 97.1%, respectively. The detection rates of PET/CT for the recurrence and metastases were 85.3% in the CEA-positive group and 75.7% in the CEA-negative group. No significant differences were observed between the two groups. Overall, CEA levels do not help improve the detection rate of PET/CT in the recurrence and metastasis of CRC. PET/CT imaging has a high sensitivity and degree of accuracy in detecting recurrence and metastasis following CRC surgery. Therefore, this method is ideal for monitoring relapsed and metastatic foci of post-operative colon cancer cases.
Highlights
Colorectal cancer (CRC), which is the second most common cancer in each gender globally, has relatively high local and distant recurrence rates [1]
The present study aimed to evaluate the association between the diagnostic value of Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in patients with post‐operative recurrent and metastatic CRC, and the different levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)
A total of 85 patients were diagnosed as true‐positives by PET/CT, including one case diagnosed as anastomotic recurrence and right pelvic lymph node metastasis
Summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC), which is the second most common cancer in each gender globally, has relatively high local and distant recurrence rates [1]. Radical surgery and post‐operative chemotherapy are currently the main treatment for patients with CRC, recurrence following an apparently curative resection remains common, with reported relapse rates of up to 40% [2]. Accurate early detection of recurrence and metastasis is critical to improving the survival rate of CRC patients. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) measurement is the most widely accepted method for determining recurrent CRC [3]. Measurements of serum CEA and periodic abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) are useful for detecting recurrent HCC in the early stages. A more sensitive means for localizing tumor foci would aid in the management of such patients
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