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Review

Molecular Imaging in Endometrial Cancer: A Narrative Review

by
Ana María García-Vicente
1,*,
María Pilar Perlaza-Jiménez
2,
Stefanía Aida Guzmán-Ortiz
1,
Marta Tormo-Ratera
2,
Ana Sánchez-Márquez
3,
Montserrat Cortés-Romera
2 and
Edel Noriega-Álvarez
4
1
Nuclear Medicine Department, University Hospital of Toledo, 45007 Toledo, Spain
2
Nuclear Medicine-PET (ICS-IDI) Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
3
Radiology Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907 Barcelona, Spain
4
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Guadalajara, 19002 Guadalajara, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Cancers 2025, 17(16), 2608; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17162608
Submission received: 17 June 2025 / Revised: 1 August 2025 / Accepted: 6 August 2025 / Published: 8 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biology, Diagnosis and Management of Endometrial Cancer)

Simple Summary

Endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system in developed countries. Its diagnosis and treatment can be difficult due to the wide variety of tumor types and behaviors. This narrative review explores how diagnostic imaging techniques, particularly molecular imaging methods such as PET/CT and PET/MRI, can help clinicians better understand and manage this disease. These techniques not only improve the detection of tumor spread and response to treatment, but also provide biological information about the cancer in each patient. This knowledge allows for more personalized and effective therapeutic decision-making. The authors also discuss new imaging methods and artificial intelligence-assisted models that could further refine risk assessment in the future. This work highlights the important role of advanced imaging techniques in improving outcomes for women with endometrial cancer, and encourages further research to confirm these promising benefits.

Abstract

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.
Keywords: endometrial cancer; [18F]FDG-PET/CT; [18F]FDG-PET/MRI; radiomics; staging; response; progression; prognosis endometrial cancer; [18F]FDG-PET/CT; [18F]FDG-PET/MRI; radiomics; staging; response; progression; prognosis

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

García-Vicente, A.M.; Perlaza-Jiménez, M.P.; Guzmán-Ortiz, S.A.; Tormo-Ratera, M.; Sánchez-Márquez, A.; Cortés-Romera, M.; Noriega-Álvarez, E. Molecular Imaging in Endometrial Cancer: A Narrative Review. Cancers 2025, 17, 2608. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17162608

AMA Style

García-Vicente AM, Perlaza-Jiménez MP, Guzmán-Ortiz SA, Tormo-Ratera M, Sánchez-Márquez A, Cortés-Romera M, Noriega-Álvarez E. Molecular Imaging in Endometrial Cancer: A Narrative Review. Cancers. 2025; 17(16):2608. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17162608

Chicago/Turabian Style

García-Vicente, Ana María, María Pilar Perlaza-Jiménez, Stefanía Aida Guzmán-Ortiz, Marta Tormo-Ratera, Ana Sánchez-Márquez, Montserrat Cortés-Romera, and Edel Noriega-Álvarez. 2025. "Molecular Imaging in Endometrial Cancer: A Narrative Review" Cancers 17, no. 16: 2608. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17162608

APA Style

García-Vicente, A. M., Perlaza-Jiménez, M. P., Guzmán-Ortiz, S. A., Tormo-Ratera, M., Sánchez-Márquez, A., Cortés-Romera, M., & Noriega-Álvarez, E. (2025). Molecular Imaging in Endometrial Cancer: A Narrative Review. Cancers, 17(16), 2608. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17162608

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