ABSTRACT
Background: In terms of mortality and malignancy, pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths with 10% 5-year survival rate. Accurate diagnosis either initially or after therapy may potentially impact therapy and hence survival of patients. Aim of the work: To find out the value of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and compare it with contrast enhanced CT. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of thirty adult patients; 23 male and 7 female with pathologically proven pancreatic cancers mostly adenocarcinoma type. The mean age ±SD is.56.3±1.15 years. Patient's data were retrieved from nuclear medicine and radiation oncology department (NEMROCK), faculty of medicine, Cairo university hospital between January 2018 and May 2021. To determine if FDG-PET/CT is more beneficial than contrast-enhanced CT (CE-CT), the findings of the diagnostic CT and the 18F-FDG-PET/CT were compared. Results: The statistical analysis of 30 patients with pathologically confirmed pancreatic cancer (PC) in this retrospective study found a statistically significant difference between 18F-FDG-PET/CT and CE-CT in detecting the primary tumor, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, with P-values of 0.0001, 0.0007, and 0.0037, respectively. Also, there is a statistically significant difference between 18F-FDG-PET/CT and CE-CT in terms of overall staging (P-value = 0.003799). FDG PET/CT was more sensitive, specific and accurate than CE-CT in staging of primary tumor as well as lymph nodal and distant metastasis. Conclusion: 18F-FDG-PET/CT may be potentially beneficial to detect the primary pancreatic cancer as well as regional nodal and remote metastatic lesions. FDG PET/CT may alter management of pancreatic cancer either by upstaging or downstaging.
Keywords:
18-F FDG PET/CT – Diagnosis – Pancreatic cancer