With one third of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) expected to develop cancer recurrence in the first two years after therapy, accurate assessment of the response and timely detection of cancer recurrence after concurrent chemo- and radiotherapy (CCRT) treatment is of great importance. Although there is neither definite consensus about the preferred imaging modality, nor the time interval until the first diagnostic examination after CCRT, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends the use of MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT as a post-treatment LACC response-assessment imaging tools. In this study, we tried to appraise the early therapy response in LACC patients by both 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI in regard to the follow-up imaging results and their mutual interrelationship, and to ascertain if the post-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI results were related to the progression-free and overall survival rate in women with LACC after CCRT. We also aimed to estimate the early and follow-up diagnostic imaging impact on further therapy management. Based on our results, we concluded that 18F-FDG PET/CT did surpass MRI in the early assessment of therapeutic response in LACC patients after CCRT. Both modalities provided information that may serve as predictive biomarkers of outcome and LACC patients’ survival.

Background/Objectives: The global increase in the incidence of malignant melanoma, without significant changes in the mortality rate, may be influenced by the changes in the diagnostic approach and criteria, and the impact of innovative therapies on the survival of patients. Advances in treatment options, influencing prolonged survival, are bringing up a strong need for close surveillance of melanoma patients. In this observational, retrospective, and single-center study, we determined the impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT diagnostics on the outcomes and survival of malignant melanoma patients at different stages from an extensive and unselected group in a real-life clinical management setting. Methods: A total number of 189 malignant melanoma patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT examination in the course of the treatment at one university oncology institute during the period from January 2010 to December 2024 were included in the study, and the multifactorial impact on the outcome and survival of malignant melanoma patients was observed in regard to the differences resulting from the therapeutic approaches and the introduction of new therapeutic options and drugs. Results & Conclusions: Our results indicate that 18F-FDG PET/CT is a sensitive imaging tool for the detection of predominantly distant metastases in malignant melanoma patients belonging to an extensive and unselected population in a real-world clinical setting, not only at advanced melanoma stages but also at early stages of high-risk patients’ surveillance. Follow-up appears to be of substantial importance for patients at advanced stages, but also for patients at early stages of disease, in particular in the presence of a strong clinical suspicion. Immunotherapy and combined therapy are improving overall survival in melanoma patients in real-world circumstances and equivalent clinical surroundings.

Introduction. Neuroendocrine neoplasms are rare heterogeneous malignancies that may occur in almost any organ in the body. These neoplasms are associated with a wide range of clinical and pathophysiological manifestations. Case Report. A 67-year-old female patient, non-smoker with a history of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, visited her general practitioner complaining of back pain, heart palpitations, and change in stool consistency. Physical examination revealed multiple subcutaneous nodules in the neck and chest area that were painful to touch. Due to suspected hyperthyroidism, she was referred to an endocrinologist. The ultrasound of the thyroid gland showed multiple cysts in the right lobe and a nodule in the left lobe of the thyroid gland. Laboratory tests showed elevated calcitonin and carbohydrate antigen levels. Based on the assumption that medullary thyroid carcinoma was the most likely diagnosis, she was referred to the Nuclear Medicine Department of the Oncology Institute of Vojvodina. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the left thyroid nodule was done and thyroid malignancy was excluded. By histopathological analysis of the enlarged right chest lymph node and a skin lump on the left loin, a lung cancer with neuroendocrine morphology with positive neuroendocrine markers was diagnosed. Computed tomography revealed a tumor infiltrating the left hilum with metastases. Conclusion. Skin metastases of neuroendocrine neoplasms are rare and may occur in any part of the human body. They may develop before the primary tumor is recognized and are associated with disseminated malignancy. Diagnosis and treatment are important to control the disease and improve the quality of life of patients.