The diagnostic performance of [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT in the detection of melanoma recurrence: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The purpose of our meta-analysis and systematic review was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT in melanoma recurrence.

Until September 2023, we searched all papers evaluating the diagnostic value of [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT for melanoma recurrence in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. The relevant studies’ quality was evaluated using the Quality Judgment of Diagnostic Performance Studies (QUADAS-2) methodology. The sensitivity and specificity were provided as estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effect model. the heterogeneity among the combined studies was evaluated using I² statistic,.

There were 22 studies in all, totaling 2214 patients. For the diagnosis of melanoma recurrence, the combined [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83–0.95), 0.91 (95% CI: 0.88–0.93), and 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93–0.97). According to the results of Deeks’ funnel plot asymmetry test, there was no noticeable publication bias for [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT, according to the results (P = 0.86).

It finds that [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT has excellent diagnosis performance in identifying malignant melanoma recurrence. Its application could improve patient prognosis by detecting and treating recurrences earlier. Further studies need more prospective large samples.