Positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with cancer of unknown primary origin

Abstract

Cancer of unknown primary origin is not an uncommon clinical state, usually accounting for 2%-7% of all cancer patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) was performed in 17 patients with histologically proven metastatic tumors of unknown primary and negative or inconclusive conventional diagnostic procedures. RESULTS: The study included 17 patients (8 male and 9 female) age from 42 to 76 years. PET / CT has pointed out the probable localization of primary tumors in 10 patients. According histological diagnosis of carcinoma of unknown origin, most common is adenocarcinoma (64.71%). Origin of the primary cancer was found in 72.73% patients with adenocarcinoma 66.67% of respondents with squamocelular carcinoma and 50% of respondents with low differentiated carcinoma. Location of primary cancer was not found in 41.18% of the respondents, including patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma and patients with melanoma. CONCLUSION: FDG PET/CT demonstrates very good whole-body imaging method in evaluation of patients with unknown primary carcinoma.