Metastasis of cervical cancer indicated by elevation of serum CA125 produced by mediastinal lymph nodes: a case report.

BACKGROUND: In patient assessment for recurrence of neoplasia, a biomarker that shows an elevated serum value before the first treatment is a candidate for follow-up examination. The biomarker squamous cell carcinoma antigen is usually utilized for follow-up of squamous cell cancer of the cervix. CASE PRESENTATION: We herein report a 30-year-old Japanese woman of postoperative metastasis of cervical squamous cell cancer to the mediastinal and supraclavicular lymph nodes as indicated by an elevated serum cancer antigen 125 concentration and not by the squamous cell carcinoma antigen value. After chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy, the serum cancer antigen 125 concentration decreased to a normal value. Squamous cell carcinoma antigen was found to be distributed in both the squamous cell cancer tissue of the cervix and the supraclavicular lymph node metastatic tissue. By contrast, cancer antigen 125 was distributed in the supraclavicular lymph node metastatic tissue but not in the original squamous cell cancer tissue of the cervix. CONCLUSION: In this case, metastasis of cervical cancer to the mediastinal and supraclavicular lymph nodes was shown by the biomarker cancer antigen 125, which was not present in the original neoplasia.

[Transvaginal ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy for residual potentially malignant ovarian tumors in cases with severe peritoneal adhesion and frozen pelvis requiring polysurgery].

A multiparous woman in her 40s had advanced peritoneal adhesions and frozen pelvis from 3 previous surgeries. Endometrial ovarian cysts also remained. After the last surgery, imaging showed cysts with a septum and enhanced moieties in the Douglas pouch. Highly invasive surgery was anticipated, and the patient underwent a transvaginal ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy(TVCNB, 16-gauge needle)with full awareness of the risks involved. The histopathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma. We inserted a ureteral stent and performed an S-shaped colon resection and standard ovarian cancer surgery after preoperative chemotherapy. TVCNB in this case was less invasive and easier to perform than other exploratory procedures, and has a low risk of iatrogenic intraperitoneal dissemination even if the tumor is malignant. Chemotherapy can be administered before surgery if malignancy is detected. In summary, TVCNB is a useful alternative method for conducting exploratory operations.

Evaluation of 18F-FDG PET with bladder irrigation in patients with uterine and ovarian tumors.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this study was to evaluate PET using (18)F-FDG for gynecologic lesions with continuous bladder irrigation to eliminate artifacts from the (18)F-FDG activity in the bladder. METHODS: Forty-one patients were studied. They had 23 cervical uterine lesions (15 cases of cancer, 5 recurrences, 3 nonrecurrences); 8 cases of uterine corpus cancer, including 2 recurrences; and 10 ovarian masses (6 malignant, 4 nonmalignant). All cases of cancer were histologically proven; however, 2 cases of nonrecurrent uterine cervical carcinomas were diagnosed by clinical course. Continuous bladder irrigation was performed 35-55 min after intravenous administration of 185-370 MBq (18)F-FDG, and an emission scan was obtained 40-55 min after intravenous administration. Standardized uptake value (SUV) was used to estimate the degree of (18)F-FDG uptake quantitatively. RESULTS: After bladder irrigation, the (18)F-FDG activity in the urinary tract was eliminated in 33 patients, so that detection of tumor (18)F-FDG accumulation was easy. Two patients showed residual activity in the urinary bladder, and 6 patients showed activity in the ureter. An artifact was seen in 1 patient with residual activity in the urinary bladder caused by insufficient irrigation. However, these residual activities had no influence on detecting (18)F-FDG accumulation in tumor. The mean (+/-SD) of SUVs of malignant lesions was 6.04 +/- 3.22, that of nonmalignant lesions was 1.71 +/- 1.12, and the difference was significant (P = 0.0002). SUVs of all malignant lesions were greater than 2.0, and SUVs of all nonmalignant lesions, except the 1 case of ovarian fibroma, were less than 2.0. CONCLUSION: (18)F-FDG PET with continuous bladder irrigation is useful for eliminating (18)F-FDG activity in the bladder and for differentiating between malignant and nonmalignant uterine or ovarian masses.