Positron emission tomography in early detection of relapse in high-risk melanoma patients: A retrospective review

To determine the usefulness of FDG-PET in the surveillance of melanoma patients at high risk of relapse, we reviewed the medical records of 667 high-risk patients who had FDG-PET imaging and were seen at the Mayo Clinic between 1999 and 2007. Of 106 eligible patients (AJCC stages IIIA-IV), 68 had a recurrence: 26 patients had recurrences that were asymptomatic and found by PET alone, and 12 of them were surgical candidates. We conclude that serial FDG-PET imaging for high-risk melanoma patients may be a useful tool for early identification of asymptomatic relapse amenable to complete surgical resection.