Release Date: 07/29/2016

Despite their popularity, positron emission tomography (PET) scans are not effective in uncovering cervical cancer in a woman’s lymph nodes, according to research recently published by a team of oncologists that includes a physician from Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island.

In the study – entitled “Utility of PET-CT to Evaluate Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Metastasis in Advanced Cervical Cancer: Results of ACRIN6671/GOG0233 Trial,” published in the trade journal Gynecologic Oncology – the researchers compared the effectiveness of using computed tomography (CT) scans alone and combined with PET scans to find cervical cancer in the lymph nodes of more than 150 women.

“What we found is that the combination of CT and PET scans is only 50 percent effective if the cancer is located in the lymph nodes in the patient’s abdomen,” explains Paul DiSilvestro, MD, interim chief of the Program in Women's Oncology at Women & Infants and head of the program’s research division. He is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. “We feel that the PET scan doesn’t add anything.”

Women & Infants was one of the lead enrolling facilities for this study, which Dr. DiSilvestro says underscores the need for physicians to assess each situation before recommending screening or treatment.

“Often, advanced technology doesn’t provide the best information,” he begins. “Our job is to combine our clinical diagnostic strategizing skills with the new technology to help create the best treatment regimen for our patients.”

Dr. DiSilvestro is accepting new patients. For more information, call (401) 453-7520.