TY - JOUR
T1 - Performance of 18F-fluorodesoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography for cancer screening in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism: Results from an individual patient data meta-analysis
AU - Robin, Philippe
AU - van Es, Nick
AU - le Roux, Pierre-Yves
AU - Rondina, Matthew
AU - Lecumberri, Ramón
AU - Beckers, Mariëlle
AU - le Gal, Grégoire
AU - Salaun, Pierre-Yves
PY - 2020/10/1
Y1 - 2020/10/1
N2 - Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) may be the first manifestation of cancer. We aimed at evaluating the performance of 18F-Fluorodesoxyglucose Positron-Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (FDG PET/CT) for occult cancer screening in patients with unprovoked VTE. Methods: This was a pre-specified analysis of a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis including prospective studies assessing cancer screening in patients with unprovoked VTE. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of FDG PET/CT were calculated based on cancer diagnosis during a 1-year follow-up period. Results: Four studies were identified as using FDG PET/CT as part of their extensive screening strategy. Out of the 332 patients who underwent FDG PET/CT, the scan was interpreted as positive in 67 (20.2%), as equivocal in 27 (8.1%), and as negative in 238 (71.7%). Seventeen (5.1%) patients were diagnosed with cancer at inclusion or during the 12-month follow up period. All cancers were diagnosed at initial screening. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV were 87.3% (95% CI, 55.3 to 97.4), 70.2% (95% CI, 48.2 to 85.6), 98.9% (95% CI, 94.3 to 99.7), and 17.9% (95% CI, 8.5 to 33.6), respectively. Conclusion: FDG PET/CT appears to have satisfactory accuracy indices for cancer diagnosis in patients with unprovoked VTE. In particular, it exhibits a very high negative predictive value and could be used to rule out the presence of an underlying occult malignancy in this setting.
AB - Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) may be the first manifestation of cancer. We aimed at evaluating the performance of 18F-Fluorodesoxyglucose Positron-Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (FDG PET/CT) for occult cancer screening in patients with unprovoked VTE. Methods: This was a pre-specified analysis of a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis including prospective studies assessing cancer screening in patients with unprovoked VTE. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of FDG PET/CT were calculated based on cancer diagnosis during a 1-year follow-up period. Results: Four studies were identified as using FDG PET/CT as part of their extensive screening strategy. Out of the 332 patients who underwent FDG PET/CT, the scan was interpreted as positive in 67 (20.2%), as equivocal in 27 (8.1%), and as negative in 238 (71.7%). Seventeen (5.1%) patients were diagnosed with cancer at inclusion or during the 12-month follow up period. All cancers were diagnosed at initial screening. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV were 87.3% (95% CI, 55.3 to 97.4), 70.2% (95% CI, 48.2 to 85.6), 98.9% (95% CI, 94.3 to 99.7), and 17.9% (95% CI, 8.5 to 33.6), respectively. Conclusion: FDG PET/CT appears to have satisfactory accuracy indices for cancer diagnosis in patients with unprovoked VTE. In particular, it exhibits a very high negative predictive value and could be used to rule out the presence of an underlying occult malignancy in this setting.
KW - Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
KW - Neoplasms
KW - Positron-emission tomography
KW - Screening
KW - Venous thromboembolism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086841244&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.thromres.2020.06.034
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.thromres.2020.06.034
M3 - Article
C2 - 32788108
SN - 0049-3848
VL - 194
SP - 153
EP - 157
JO - Thrombosis research
JF - Thrombosis research
ER -