Application of FDG-PET in cervical cancer and endometrial cancer: Utility and future prospects

Positron-emission tomography (PET), a diagnostic imaging technique using an agent labeled with a positron-emitting radionuclide, may facilitate improved diagnosis and treatment in gynecological fields. A combined PET/computerized tomography (CT) scan can identify the precise anatomical location of a lesion based on accumulation of ¹⁸F-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG). FDG-PET and PET/CT have been used for detecting metastatic lesions and predicting prognosis in uterine cancer. PET has higher reliability in diagnosing lymph node metastases of uterine cancer than CT or MRI, and is considered most useful among non-invasive diagnostic imaging methods. Accumulation of FDG in lesions is indicative of a poor prognosis. Due to its limited spatial resolution, PET is not suitable has lower utility for detecting small lesions, and is not suitable for early-stage screening, and diagnosing primary lesions. Further improvements in diagnostic technology, including PET/MRI, investigation of new positron tracers, and analysis of data from various combinations of tracers are likely to make PET particularly useful for diagnosis and therapeutic strategy planning.