Predicting epithelial ovarian cancer prognosis: correlation of posttreatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography metabolic parameters, serum carbohydrate antigen, and human epididymis protein levels with overall survival.

Abstract

Identifying reliable prognostic indicators can aid in improving patient care. The aim of this study was to establish the association of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) whole-body metabolic parameters, serum carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) with overall survival (OS) in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) after surgery combined with platinum-based chemotherapy. From May 2014 to May 2019, a total of 79 patients with EOC who underwent posttreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were included. Clinical data and laboratory indicators were obtained. The whole-body maximum standardized uptake value (WBSUVmax), whole-body metabolic tumor volume (WBMTV), and whole-body total lesion glycolysis (WBTLG) were measured and calculated on 18F-FDG PET/CT. The follow-up was conducted until February 2023, and the endpoint was death from any cause. Pearson correlation analysis, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox proportional regression were used in this study. The PET-positive (PET-P) patients had significantly decreased OS based on either Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (P<0.001) or univariate Cox regression analysis [hazard ratio (HR) =40.177, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.690-600.134; P=0.007]. "Ln" is a logarithmic transformation with a base of "e" (natural logarithm). LnWBMTV, lnWBTLG, and therapy after PET were independent predictors of OS in a cohort of 63 PET-P patients. The difference in OS between groups sorted by the median WBMTV (4.16; P<0.001) and WBTLG (14.71; P<0.001) was statistically significant. There were statistically significant differences in CA125 and HE4 levels between patients in the PET-P and PET-negative (PET-N) groups (P<0.001). In the PET-P patient cohort, serum HE4 levels were substantially correlated with WBMTV and WBTLG. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis suggested a reduction in OS after treatment in patients with EOC positive for CA125, HE4, and PET (P<0.001). Post-PET/CT treatment strategy, WBMTV, and WBTLG demonstrated significant prognostic utility in predicting posttreatment OS in patients with EOC. Patients who tested positive for both tumor markers CA125 and HE4 and had a positive PET scan demonstrated a significantly poorer prognosis in terms of posttreatment OS.