Added Value of PET/CT in Assessment of Hepatocellular Malignancy Post Radiofrequency Ablation

Background: Following loco-regional interventional treatment, patient survival depends on the early identification and management of residual or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Objective: The goal of this study is to determine whether PET/CT (positron emission tomography/computed tomography) can help detect tumoral activity that is still present following radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for HCC in its early stages.
Patients and Methods: Seventy participants participated in this prospective cohort research with HCC of both sexes aged 18 and above, who underwent RFA. A Philips hybrid system with a 16 MDCT scanner was used to perform PET/CT one month after RFA.
Results: Alpha-fetoprotein level was notably reduced after ablation than before ablation (P<0.001). The average value (± SD) of the liver standardized uptake value max was 2.3 (±0.48) cm. The PET/CT can predict unresolved lesions with 95.7% accuracy, 100% negative predictive value, 62.5% positive predictive value, 95.4% specificity, and 100% sensitivity. The PET/CT and triphasic CT scans revealed a high degree of agreement (Kappa =0.747).
Conclusions: Due to its ability to quantify metabolic activity, PET/CT proved to be quite sensitive in detecting tumour remains after RFA with excellent diagnostic judgement for a final diagnosis.