18F-FDG-PET/CT helps in prediction of brain metastasis in melanoma patients

Malignant melanoma is known for its aggressive nature and disproportionately high mortality rate among skin-related malignancies and is the third most common cancer to metastasize to the brain. A recent retrospective study published in the Journal of Cancers unveiled the potential breakthrough in prediction of brain metastases in melanoma patients.

18F-FDG PET/CT is a powerful imaging modality for detecting melanoma metastases, this study evaluated its prognostic value in the context of brain metastases. The limitation of 18F-FDG PET/CT, an unfavorable tumor-to-background uptake ratio in the brain, prompted researchers to explore its potential as a prognostic tool.

This retrospective analysis included a total of 201 melanoma patients with pathology-proven cases between 2008 and 2021. The baseline assessments included histopathology, 18F-FDG PET/CT, and brain MRI. A median follow-up of six years was conducted that revealed intriguing associations.

Among the clinical variables, the initial M-stage and TNM-stage were significantly associated to the occurrence of brain metastasis.18F-FDG PET/CT parameters, specially regional metastatic lymph node uptake values, prominent SULmax (pSULmax) and prominent SUVmean (pSUVmean), demonstrated significant links with the outcome.