18F-FDG PET/CT can predict chemosensitivity and proliferation of epithelial ovarian cancer via SUVmax value.
This study aimed to explore the clinical and prognostic significance of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). We retrospectively investigated 48 EOC patients who underwent preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT and primary cytoreductive surgery at our hospital between January 2010 and June 2015. None of these patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. PET/CT parameters including the maximum and average standardized uptake value (SUVmax, SUVavg), the metabolic tumor volume (MTV) were measured. Tumor proliferation marker Ki67 was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. The relationships between the PET/CT parameters and chemosensitivity, tumor proliferation, and overall survival (OS) were analyzed, respectively. The median (range) SUVmax, SUVavg, and MTV values were 11.42 (3.14-20.20), 4.8 (2.55-9.47), and 150.11 (0.19-792.46), respectively. Overall, 93.8% (45/48) of patients had high-grade serous ovarian cancer. The SUVmax value had a positive correlation with the Ki67 index (P = 0.030, r = 0.314), and a higher SUVmax level was associated with chemosensitivity (P = 0.026). However, neither SUVavg nor MTV had associations with the patients' clinicopathological parameters. None of these three PET/CT parameters were found to be potential predictors of OS. Preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT had a predictive value on chemosensitivity and proliferation after primary debulking surgery in EOC patients noninvasively.