[18F]FDG PET/CT Radiomics in Cervical Cancer: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Cervical cancer is a significant global health concern, with high incidence and mortality rates, especially in less-developed regions. [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT is now indicated at various stages of management, but its analysis is essentially based on SUVmax, a measure of [¹⁸F]FDG uptake. Radiomics, by extracting a multitude of parameters, promises to improve the diagnostic and prognostic performance of the examination. However, studies remain heterogeneous, both in terms of patient numbers and methods, so a synthesis is needed. Methods: This systematic review was conducted following PRISMA-P guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024584123). Eligible studies on PET/CT radiomics in cervical cancer were identified through PubMed and Scopus and assessed for quality using the Radiomics Quality Score (RQS v2.0), with data extraction focusing on study design, population characteristics, radiomic methods, and model performances. Results: The review identified 22 studies on radiomics in cervical cancer, 19 of which focused specifically on locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) and assessed various clinical outcomes, such as survival, relapse, treatment response, and lymph node involvement prediction. They reported significant associations between prognostic indicators and radiomic features, indicating the potential of radiomics to improve the predictive accuracy for patient outcomes in LACC; however, the overall quality of the studies was relatively moderate, with a median RQS of 12/36. Conclusions: While radiomic analysis in cervical cancer presents promising opportunities for survival prediction and personalized care, further well-designed studies are essential to provide stronger evidence for its clinical utility.

Keywords: PET/CT; locally advanced cervical cancer; methodological quality; radiomics; systematic review.

Figure 1

Flowchart of literature search and article selection.