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Response assessment after induction chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: From physical examination to modern imaging techniques and beyond
Author(s) -
Bree Remco,
Wolf Gregory T.,
de Keizer Bart,
Nixon Iain J.,
Hartl Dana M.,
Forastiere Arlene A.,
Haigentz Missak,
Rinaldo Alessandra,
Rodrigo Juan P.,
Saba Nabil F.,
Suárez Carlos,
Vermorken Jan B.,
Ferlito Alfio
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.24883
Subject(s) - induction chemotherapy , medicine , radiation therapy , chemotherapy , head and neck cancer , head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , radiology , radiation treatment planning , oncology , clinical trial , positron emission tomography , head and neck , fluorodeoxyglucose , medical physics , nuclear medicine , surgery
Significant correlations between the response to induction chemotherapy and success of subsequent radiotherapy have been reported and suggest that the response to induction chemotherapy is able to predict a response to radiotherapy. Therefore, induction chemotherapy may be used to tailor the treatment plan to the individual patient with head and neck cancer: following the planned subsequent (chemo)radiation schedule, planning a radiation dose boost, or reassessing the modality of treatment (eg, upfront surgery). Findings from reported trials suggest room for improvement in clinical response assessment after induction chemotherapy, but an optimal method has yet to be identified. Historically, indices of treatment efficacy in solid tumors have been based solely on systematic assessment of tumor size. However, functional imaging (eg, fluorodeoxyglucose‐positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) potentially provides an earlier indication of response to treatment than conventional imaging techniques. More advanced imaging techniques are still in an exploratory phase and are not ready for use in clinical practice.