Improved treatment outcomes with (18) F-FDG PET/CT for patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of (18) F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18) F-FDG) PET/CT on survival for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma correlated with a matched patient cohort.


METHODS
In all, disease in 58 patients was initially staged using (18) F-FDG PET/CT. A case-control analysis was done with 63 patients who disease was staged without (18) F-FDG-PET/CT.


RESULTS
Disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) did not show significant differences between both groups. Statistical analysis revealed no difference in DSS and OS between the 2 groups for patients treated by radiochemotherapy (p = .975 and p = .671). In the analysis of survival in patients treated by a combined approach (surgery + radiochemotherapy), a significant difference in favor of patients evaluated by (18) F-FDG PET/CT was found (p = .05 and p = .027).


CONCLUSIONS
Addition of (18) F-FDG PET/CT in patients treated by surgery and conformal radiochemotherapy improves outcome. This may be due to the more comprehensive topographic orientation of the primary tumor for the surgeon.
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. stephan.haerle@usz.ch
Stephan K
SK
Haerle
M B
MB
Soyka
D T
DT
Schmid
N
N
Ahmad
G F
GF
Huber
D W
DW
Crook
T F
TF
Hany
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; 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; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18