PET to detect recurrence of colon cancer with serially rising CEA levels – pro
PET is being more frequenlty used to detect and identify recurrence. More recently NCCN has been more supportive of PET in this setting. It used to support PET only in the situation of rising CEA and no identified recurrence for localization of disease recurrence in patients with rising CEA level and non-diagnostic imaging studies, such as CT scans.However, PET scan can potentially identify occult disease in this setting that CT misses. Therefore, PET scans can led to greater potentially curative resection in patients with elevated CEA and patients who are candidates for resection of isolated colorectal cancer liver metastases. PET scan prior to attempted resection reduces the number of unnecessary laparotomies.
On p. Col-9, 2012 NCCN recommends the use of CT scans of chest and abdomen in the situation of serial CEA elevations but also says “Consider PET/CT scan”.
CMS guidelines state that PET would rarely be used in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer. However, starting July 1, 2001, HCFA, now called the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is covering FDG-PET imaging for diagnosis, staging, and restaging of colorectal cancer.
Gade M, Kubik M, Fisker RV, Thorlacius-Ussing O, Petersen LJ. Diagnostic value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT as first choice in the detection of recurrent colorectal cancer due to rising CEA. Cancer Imaging. 2015;15(1):11. Published 2015 Aug 13. doi:10.1186/s40644-015-0048-y
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For Lay version see here