PET-detected asymptomatic recurrence is associated with improved survival in recurrent cervical cancer.

Abstract

We aimed to examine utilization patterns of positron emission tomography scans (PET or PET/CT) beyond 6months after cervical cancer treatment. We investigated survival outcomes of asymptomatic patients with PET-detected recurrence. We performed a retrospective review of 283 patients with stage IA-IVA cervical cancer treated with primary chemoradiation. The 107 patients (37.8%) with recurrence were categorized as "asymptomatic PET-detected recurrence" (n = 23) or "standard detection" (n = 84) and wecompared clinical characteristics and outcomes using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Late post-treatment PET (≥ 6months after treatment) was performed in 35.3% (n = 100). Indications for late post-treatment PET included restaging in setting of known recurrence (23.6%), follow up of prior ambiguous imaging findings (9.7%), and new symptoms or exam findings (6.7%). However, late post-treatment PET was most commonly performed outside of current imaging guidelines, in asymptomatic patients without suspicion for recurrence (60.0%), presumably for surveillance. The median time to recurrence was 12.1months (IQR 7.3-26.6). 23 patients (21.5%) had recurrence detected late post-treatment PET while asymptomatic (n = 23/107). Patients with asymptomatic PET-detected recurrence had improved survival by 26.3months compared to the standard detection cohort (50.3 vs 24.0months, p = 0.0015). On multivariate analysis, predictors of survival after recurrence were presence of distant metastases at diagnosis (p = 0.010) and asymptomatic PET-detected recurrence (p = 0.039). PET imaging in asymptomatic patients beyond 6months after treatment may have clinical benefit and warrants further study. Detection of recurrence by PET inasymptomatic patients ≥ 6months after chemoradiation was associated with prolonged survival by more than 2years.