title: The role of changes in maximum standardized uptake value of FDG PET-CT for post-treatment surveillance in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with chemoradiotherapy: preliminary findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  No clear consensus exists regarding the optimal interval and frequency of follow-up positron emission tomography (PET)-CT in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Here, we sought to clarify whether the changes in the maximum standardized uptake value (ΔSUVmax) may be a valid parameter to help decision-making for surveillance management after CRT.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 patients underwent PET-CT at pre-treatment and 3 months after CRT. Patients were followed by sequential PET-CT for 2 years after CRT. The ΔSUVmaxof the primary tumour and the metastatic nodes were calculated between pre-treatment and 3 months after the CRT, and we evaluated the associations between ΔSUVmaxand the manifestation of recurrence, time to recurrence and the patient survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ΔSUVmaxof the primary tumour was significantly lower for the lesions with recurrence than that for those with non-recurrence for both the primary site and the nodal site (p = 0.007, 0.02). A significant correlation was found between the time to recurrence and the ΔSUVmaxof the primary tumour (r = 0.63, p < 0.05). The threshold ΔSUVmaxof the primary tumour of 1.04 revealed 76.9% sensitivity and 86.4% specificity for distinguishing recurrence from non-recurrence. The progression-free survival and overall survival of the two patient groups divided by the ΔSUVmaxof the primary tumour at 1.04 showed a significant difference (p = 0.003, 0.02). The ΔSUVmaxof the metastatic nodes did not show a significant association with recurrence or patient survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ΔSUVmaxof the primary tumour showed a significant association with recurrence and patient survival. Advances in knowledge: The ΔSUVmaxof the primary tumour may be a valid clinical parameter to help decision-making for the surveillance management of patients with HNSCC after CRT.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Munetaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matoba
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Kanazawa Medical University, Kahoku, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tuji
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Kanazawa Medical University, Kahoku, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuzo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimode
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Tamaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oota
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tonami
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18