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The use of positron emission tomography for early detection of recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in postradiotherapy patients
Author(s) -
Bailet Jeffrey W.,
Sercarz Joel A.,
Abemayor Elliot,
Anzai Yoshimi,
Lufkin Robert B.,
Hoh Carl K.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-199502000-00004
Subject(s) - medicine , positron emission tomography , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , malignancy , radiation therapy , head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , nuclear medicine , subclinical infection , fluorodeoxyglucose , basal cell , head and neck , head and neck cancer , pathology , surgery
Positron emission tomography (PET) has recently proved to be highly sensitive in detecting known extracranial head and neck squamous cell carcinomas when compared to computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The ability of PET to detect early subclinical recurrent squamous cell malignancies in patients who received primary radiotherapy was evaluated. A new PET‐MRI coregistration technique was used to determine precise anatomic tumor location, enabling directed biopsies to confirm the presence of malignancy, and to plan additional therapeutic strategies. Ten patients underwent PET evaluation with intravenous [ 18 F]‐fluorodeoxyglucose and received postradiotherapy MRI scans. In all cases, PET accurately detected the presence of recurrent disease despite negative or equivocal MRI scans and indeterminate clinical examinations. PET appears to be highly effective in detecting early recurrent head and neck squamous cell malignancies in postirradiated patients.