Added Clinical Value of 18F-FDG-PET/CT to Stage Patients With High-Risk Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Before Radical Cystectomy

Noor van Ginkel, Erik J. van Gennep, Liselot Oosterbaan, Joyce Greidanus, Thierry N. Boellaard, Maurits Wondergem, André N. Vis, Theo M. de Reijke, Bas W. G. van Rhijn, Laura S. Mertens

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) is increasingly used in the preoperative staging of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The clinical added value of FDG-PET/CT in high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is unknown. In this study, the value of FDG-PET/CT in addition to contrast enhanced (CE)-CT was evaluated in high-risk NMIBC before radical cystectomy (RC). Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with high risk and very-high risk urothelial NMIBC scheduled for RC in a tertiary referral center between 2011 and 2020. Patients underwent staging with CE-CT (chest and abdomen/pelvis) and FDG-PET/CT. We assessed the clinical disease stage before and after FDG-PET/CT and the treatment recommendation based on the stage before and after FDG-PET/CT. The accuracy of CT and FDG-PET/CT for identifying metastatic disease was defined by the receiver-operating curve using a reference-standard including histopathology/cytology (if available), imaging and follow-up. Results: A total of 92 patients were identified (median age: 71 years). In 14/92 (15%) patients, FDG-PET/CT detected metastasis (12 suspicious lymph nodes and 4 distant metastases). The disease stage changed in 11/92 (12%) patients based on additional FDG-PET/CT findings. FDG-PET/CT led to a different treatment in 9/92 (10%) patients. According to the reference standard, 25/92 (27%) patients had metastases. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FDG-PET/CT was 36%, 93% and 77% respectively, versus 12%, 97% and 74% of CE-CT only. The area under the ROC curve was 0.643 for FDG-PET/CT and 0.545 for CT, P = .036. Conclusion: The addition of FDG-PET/CT to CE-CT imaging changed the treatment in 10% of patients and proved to be a valuable diagnostic tool in a selected subgroup of NMIBC patients scheduled for RC.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)342-348
Number of pages7
JournalClinical genitourinary cancer
Volume21
Issue number3
Early online date2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2023

Keywords

  • Accuracy
  • Diagnosis
  • Imaging
  • Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer
  • Positron-emission tomography-computed tomography
  • Treatment change

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