Clinical impact of positron emission tomography (PET) with (18F)fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in head and neck tumours.
CONCLUSIONS
PET plays an important role in staging, on suspicion of recurrence and for detection of occult primary tumours in the head and neck.


OBJECTIVE
Since 1998 we have used positron emission tomography (PET) with (18F)fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) to assess selected patients. This procedure has often helped in making decisions on staging and treatment.


METHODS
The case records of the first 80 patients (104 PET examinations) were studied retrospectively.


RESULTS
A total of 39 examinations were performed for staging. PET detected all primary tumours except two (stage T1), and staging was adjusted after 13%. In all, 33 PET examinations were performed on suspicion of recurrent tumour. In 52% of these PET determined further treatments; in 21% PET had a direct impact on the surgical planning. In 18 patients with metastases from an occult primary tumour, PET detected 39% of those tumours; in 22% it was the sole modality to do so. No recurrences or second primary tumours were detected when PET was used for follow-up of clinically cured patients. Results were similar when squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) were considered alone as compared to the complete material. The mean standardized uptake value (SUV) was higher for cases deemed tumour-positive than in negative cases.
Ekberg
Tomas
T
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Hospital (Akademiska Sjukhuset), Uppsala, Sweden. tomas.ekberg@akademiska.se
Sörensen
Jens
J
Engström
Mats
M
Blomquist
Erik
E
Sundin
Anders
A
Anniko
Matti
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18