# SEMPET: FDG-PET as a predictor of viable tumour in post-chemotherapy seminoma residuals

Source: https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-sempet-de-santis-jco-2004/  
OnCo record `paper-sempet-de-santis-jco-2004` (Key paper). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A PET scan reliably told apart residual masses that still contained living seminoma from scar tissue after chemotherapy, allowing surgeons to leave PET-negative masses alone rather than operating on all masses over 3 cm.

## Summary

Prospective multicentre study of 51 patients with metastatic seminoma and residual masses after chemotherapy who underwent FDG-PET, with results validated against histology or clinical follow-up.

PET had a sensitivity of 80 percent and specificity of 100 percent for viable tumour, and for residual lesions over 3 cm specificity and sensitivity were both 100 percent, outperforming CT size criteria.

## Fields

- Kind: Key paper
- Last checked: 2026-09-17
- Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology
- Year: 2004
- DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2004.07.188
- Authors: De Santis M, Becherer A, Bokemeyer C, et al.
- Findings: Specificity 100 percent, sensitivity 80 percent for viable residual seminoma.; Sensitivity and specificity 100 percent for lesions over 3 cm.
- What it means: FDG-PET is standard for residual seminoma masses larger than 3 cm after chemotherapy, sparing most men surgery.
- Caveats: Small study; false positives occur when PET is done too soon after chemotherapy, so scans are delayed at least six weeks.

## Sources

- J Clin Oncol 2004: https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2004.07.188
- PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15020605/

## Connected records

- cancers: [Seminoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/seminoma/)
- journals: [Journal of Clinical Oncology](https://onco.cc/journals/jco/)

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