We present a case of a negative positron emission tomography (PET) scan in a patient with pathologic viable cancer at neck dissection.
Study design: Case Report.
Methods: A 69-year-old man presented with clinical stage T2N2c squamous cell cancer of the left tonsil and was treated with definitive chemoradiation. Left-sided adenopathy decreased but remained palpable after therapy.
Results: PET scan performed 23 days after completion of treatment showed no suspicious uptake in the left neck. Neck dissection performed at 2 months post-therapy revealed viable tumor in left cervical nodes.
Conclusions: Persistent adenopathy after chemoradiation for head and neck cancer remains a clinical dilemma. A negative PET scan is accurate but only if the scan is performed 3 to 4 months after therapy.