Clinical Practice in PET/CT for the Management of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of this article is to summarize the evidence for the value of PET/CT for the management of patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer and suggest best clinical practices.

CONCLUSION:

FDG PET/CT is a valuable imaging tool for identifying unknown primary tumors in patients with known cervical node metastases leading to management change and is the standard of care for the initial staging of stage III and IV head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), for assessing therapy response when performed at least 12 weeks after chemoradiation therapy, and for avoiding unnecessary planned neck dissection. Neck dissection is avoided if PET/CT findings are negative-regardless of the size of the residual neck nodes-because survival outcomes are not compromised. FDG PET/CT is valuable in detecting recurrences and metastases during follow-up when suspected because of clinical symptoms and serves as a prognostic marker for patient survival outcomes, for 5 years. Using FDG PET/CT for routine surveillance of HNSCC after 6 months of treatment without any clinical suspicion should be discouraged.

• Authors: Reema Goel, William Moore, Baran Sumer, Saad Khan, David Sher, Rathan M Subramaniam
• Journal: AJR. American journal of roentgenology (AJR Am J Roentgenol) Vol. 209 Issue 2 Pg. 289-303 (Aug 2017) ISSN: 1546-3141 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 28731808 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18

Topics

• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (diagnostic imaging, pathology, therapy)
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
• Head and Neck Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging, pathology, therapy)
• Humans
• Neoplasm Metastasis
• Neoplasm Staging
• Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
• Treatment Outcome