title: (18)F-FDG PET/CT surveillance at 3-6 and 12 months for detection of recurrence and second primary cancer in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early detection of recurrence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which is often obscured by surgical or radiotherapy-induced tissue distortion, is essential for proper patient management.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 143 consecutive patients with previously untreated HNSCC were evaluated by whole-body fluorine 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) and regular clinical follow-up after curative treatment. The (18)F-FDG PET/CT was performed ∼3-6 and 12 months after treatment and findings suspicious for recurrence or SPC were confirmed using histopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivities of 3-6- and 12-month PET/CT scans at patient level were 96% and 93%, respectively, and those of regular clinical follow-up were 11% and 19%, respectively (McNemar test, P<0.001). In patients with no clinical suspicion, PET/CT detected 95% and 91% of recurrent patients at 3-6 and 12 months, respectively. The sensitivity of PET/CT for the identification of SPC was 29% and 80% at 3-6 and 12 months, respectively. A positive interpretation of PET/CT was significantly associated with poor overall survival (log-rank test, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The (18)F-FDG PET/CT surveillance is beneficial for the detection of recurrence that may be missed by regular follow-up physical and endoscopic examinations of the head and neck area after curative treatment for HNSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K-J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: S-H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18