A Pilot Study Assessing PET Probes to Detect Cancerous Tissue During Surgery for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning may be used before surgery for recurrent ovarian cancer to pinpoint where cancer cells may be residing. In this study, surgeons are evaluating special wand-like PET probes to be used during the surgery to find cancerous tissue. If effective, the probes could increase the amount of cancerous tissue that a surgeon can remove, potentially reducing the risk of future cancer recurrence and spread.

Patients will receive an injection of a radioactively labeled sugar (glucose) before the surgery. The surgeon will use two different probes — one that detects high levels of gamma radiation and another that detects high levels of beta radiation — to locate cancerous lesions. Because cancer cells consume more glucose than normal cells, they will also absorb more of the radiation and emit higher amounts of radioactivity. The surgeon will remove tissue suspected to contain cancer cells and send it to be analyzed.