title: Effectiveness of PET/CT with (18)F-fluorothymidine in the staging of patients with squamous cell head and neck carcinomas before radiotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to compare the staging of the disease declared before anticancer treatment was begun with the staging that was found after the planning PET/CT scanning with (18)F-FLT was performed.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  PET/CT in radiotherapy planning of head and neck cancers can facilitate the contouring of the primary tumour and the definition of metastatic lymph nodes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between November 2010 and November 2013, 26 patients suffering from head and neck carcinomas underwent planning PET/CT examination with (18)F-FLT. We compared the staging of the disease and the treatment strategy declared before and after (18)F-FLT-PET/CT was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings from (18)FLT-PET/CT led in 22 patients to a change of staging: in 19 patients it led to upstaging of the disease and in 3 patients it led to downstaging of the disease. In one patient, a secondary malignancy was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have confirmed in this study that the use of (18)F-FLT-PET/CT scanning in radiotherapy planning of squamous cell head and neck carcinomas has a great potential in the precise evaluation of disease staging and consequently in the precise determination of target volumes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital in Pilsen, alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Pilsen, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Radovan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vojtíšek
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging Methods, University Hospital in Pilsen, alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Pilsen, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferda
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital in Pilsen, alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Pilsen, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jindřich
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fínek
keywords: 18F-fluorothymidine; Head and neck carcinomas; PET/CT; Radiotherapy planning