title: FDG-PET/CT imaging for staging and radiotherapy treatment planning of head and neck carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Positron emission tomography (PET) has a potential improvement for staging and radiation treatment planning of various tumor sites. We analyzed the use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/computed tomography (CT) images for staging and target volume delineation of patients with head and neck carcinoma candidates for radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two patients candidates for primary radiotherapy, who did not receive any curative surgery, underwent both CT and PET/CT simulation. Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) was contoured on CT (CT-GTV), PET (PET-GTV), and PET/CT images (PET/CT-GTV). The resulting volumes were analyzed and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on PET/CT, changes in TNM categories and clinical stage occurred in 5/22 cases (22%). The difference between CT-GTV and PET-GTV was not statistically significant (p = 0.2) whereas the difference between the composite volume (PET/CT-GTV) and CT-GTV was statistically significant (p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PET/CT fusion images could have a potential impact on both tumor staging and treatment planning.
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy, University of Piemonte Orientale Amedeo Avogadro, Novara, Italy. letizia.deantonio@libero.it
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deantonio
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beldì
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gambaro
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Inglese
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krengli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
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