Primary and recurrent early stage laryngeal cancer: preliminary results of 2-[fluorine 18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose PET imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of 2-[fluorine 18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in the identification of early stage (T1-T2) primary and recurrent laryngeal cancer.


METHODS
Twelve patients with T1 or T2 laryngeal cancer underwent imaging prospectively with PET. Seven patients had new disease, and five had recurrent disease. All patients underwent imaging prior to planned therapy and tissue biopsy. PET images were evaluated by using standardized uptake ratios and visual analysis.


RESULTS
Histopathologic evidence of early stage cancer was documented in the 12 patients. One had a carcinoma in situ, nine had T1 tumors, and two had T2 tumors. Of the 12 patients, 10 had vocal cord tumors, one had a hypopharyngeal tumor, and one had a preepiglottic tumor. Eleven (92%) patients with early stage cancer had standardized uptake ratios indicative of malignancy (mean, 4.6; SD, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2; range, 2.8-7.6). One had false-negative results (standardized uptake ratio = 2.3). Nine underwent CT, and results in the larynx were normal in seven and abnormal in two.


CONCLUSIONS
FDG PET can be used to identify primary and recurrent early stage laryngeal cancer. It may be useful for follow-up after therapy.
Lowe
V J
VJ
Department of Nuclear Medicine, St Louis University Health Sciences Center, MO 63110-0250, USA. lowe@nucmed.slu.edu
Kim
H
H
Boyd
J H
JH
Eisenbeis
J F
JF
Dunphy
F R
FR
Fletcher
J W
JW
D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18