OBJECTIVE Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) are measures of metabolic activity of tumors determined by fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ([(18)F]FDG) uptake on PET/CT images. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between functional tumor parameters (MTV and TLG) and clinical outcomes in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). METHODS Fifty-five patients with EOC who had undergone [(18)F]FDG PET/CT before surgical staging were included in this retrospectively study. For each patient, we determined the highest (SUV(max) and SUV(avg)), the cumulative TLG, and the sum of all MTV, and compared their predictive value of recurrence and the effects of pretreatment functional tumor activity on progression-free interval (PFI). RESULTS The median duration of PFI was 11 (range 3-43) months, and 20 patients (36.4%) experienced recurrence. Poor outcome was associated with higher values for both the MTV (P = 0.022, hazard ratio 5.571, 95% confidence interval 1.279-24.272) and the TLG (P = 0.037, hazard ratio 2.967, 95% confidence interval 1.065-8.265). The Kaplan-Meier survival graphs showed a significant difference in PFI between the groups categorized by MTV and TLG, respectively (P = 0.01 for MTV, P = 0.0287 for TLG, log rank test). CONCLUSIONS Pretreatment metabolic parameters such as MTV and TLG showed statistically significant association with recurrence in patients with EOC. These values can be useful quantitative criteria for disease prognostication in patients with EOC before treatment.