Clinical FDG-PET in diagnosis and evaluation of radiation response of patients with nasopharyngeal tumor.
BACKGROUND
We investigated the utility of clinical FDG-PET in patients with nasopharyngeal tumor treated by radiotherapy, retrospectively.


METHODS
Fifteen patients with known or suspected nasopharyngeal tumors underwent FDG-PET. PET images were evaluated with visual interpretation qualitatively. Semiquantitative analysis was also performed on the metabolic ratios (MRs).


RESULTS
The sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET based on visual inspection were 92.9% (13/14) and 83.3% (10/12), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between histological types in the mean MR. MR was significantly decreased by radiotherapy in patients with poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. PET scans obtained 1-3 months after radiotherapy indicated decreased levels of FDG uptake in all tumors but one scan did not accurately reflect the status of the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
These results are encouraging as to the clinical usefulness of FDG-PET for evaluating radiation effects in patients with nasopharyngeal tumor.
Mitsuhashi
N
N
Department of Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Gunma University School of Medicine, Japan. nmihashi@sb.gunma-u.ac.jp
Hayakawa
K
K
Hasegawa
M
M
Furuta
M
M
Katano
S
S
Sakurai
H
H
Akimoto
T
T
Takahashi
T
T
Nasu
S
S
Niibe
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18