Molecular Imaging in Endometrial Cancer: A Narrative Review.

Background/

Objectives

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological tumor in developed countries, and presents a wide variety of histological and molecular characteristics that make its treatment increasingly complex. In recent years, advances in molecular imaging, particularly with [18F]FDG-PET/CT and PET/MRI, have changed clinicians' management of diagnosis, treatment planning, and prognosis of EC.

Methods

In this narrative review, a search was conducted for current evidence on the role of [18F]FDG-PET/CT and PET/MRI throughout the treatment of EC, focusing on their diagnostic performance, clinical relevance, and prognostic implications. Their use in areas such as initial staging, treatment monitoring, recurrence detection, and individualized risk assessment was also discussed.

Results

[18F]FDG-PET/CT is effective in detecting lymph node and distant metastases, while [18F]FDG-PET/MRI offers greater accuracy for T and N staging. In addition, [18F]FDG-PET/CT provides early metabolic indicators of therapeutic response and facilitates differentiation between viable tumors and post-treatment changes. Radiomics-derived parameters have shown promising associations with tumor aggressiveness and lymphovascular invasion and survival, supporting their role as prognostic imaging biomarkers. In addition, the use of non-FDG radiotracers, as well as predictive models based on machine learning, can further refine preoperative stratification and treatment planning in certain subtypes of EC.

Conclusions

Molecular imaging enhances the accuracy of TNM staging in EC. The incorporation of molecular imaging biomarkers into daily clinical practice could significantly improve personalized decision-making in EC. However, large prospective studies are needed to confirm their efficacy.