title: Early evaluation of the response to radiotherapy of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck using 18FDG-PET.
abstract: The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-[F-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) in early discrimination of response to definitive radiotherapy (RT) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Twenty-four patients who underwent FDG-PET scans before and after radiotherapy for nondisseminated SCCHN at the Asan Medical Center between August 2001 and September 2002 were prospectively evaluated. Initial FDG-PET scans were performed within 1 month before RT, and follow-up FDG-PET scans were performed 1 month after completion of RT. FDG-PET images were analyzed by standard uptake value (SUV). All patients were followed for more than 6 months. Pretreatment SUV ranged from 3.4 to 14.0 (median, 6.0), while posttreatment SUV ranged from ground level to 7.7 (median, 2.0). In evaluating residual tumors in these SCCHN patients, the overall sensitivity of FDG-PET was 100%, while its overall specificity was 87%. FDG-PET is effective in evaluating the response to radiation in patients with SCCHN. Timing the follow-up FDG-PET scan 1 month after completion of RT was not too rapid for evaluating the response to radiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Yuhl
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Sang-wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ki Chun
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Jae-Seung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang Yoon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jin-Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Dae Hyuk
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Seung Joon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Byong Yong
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Jong Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung Do
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Seong Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Sung-Bae
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Bong-Jae
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18