18F FDG PET/CT and Head and Neck Cancer: Patient Management and Outcomes

PET Clin. 2015 Apr;10(2):125-45. doi: 10.1016/j.cpet.2014.12.001. Epub 2015 Feb 20.

Abstract

There is a growing body of evidence that point to the value of 18F fluoro-deoxyglucose-PET/CT in the management of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients and predicting patient-related outcomes. FDG-PET/CT changes the baseline staging (compared with CT or MR imaging), guides appropriate therapy selection, separates the responders and non-responders for therapy assessment, adds value to clinical assessment in follow-up, and predicts patient survival outcomes. FDG-PET/CT can identify the recurrences in earlier stages and individualize follow-up regimens in HNC patients. This article reviews the value of FDG-PET/CT in management strategy and survival outcome of HNC patients.

Keywords: Head and neck squamous cell cancer; Management change; Prognosis; Survival outcome; Therapy response.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / diagnostic imaging*
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Humans
  • Multimodal Imaging / methods
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18