PET/Computed Tomography: Post-therapy Follow-up in Head and Neck Cancer

Helena You; Rathan M Subramaniam

doi:10.1016/j.cpet.2021.12.001

PET/Computed Tomography: Post-therapy Follow-up in Head and Neck Cancer

PET Clin. 2022 Apr;17(2):319-326. doi: 10.1016/j.cpet.2021.12.001. Epub 2022 Mar 4.

Authors

Helena You¹, Rathan M Subramaniam²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Suite H1330, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address: helena.you@stanford.edu.
² Dean's Office, Otago Medical School, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; Department of Radiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA.

PMID: 35256299
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpet.2021.12.001

Abstract

PET/computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool in post-therapy follow-up of head and neck cancers. PET/CT is sensitive and specific, can detect recurrences that otherwise may be missed on routine clinical examination or conventional imaging, and also can have an impact on patient management. National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend PET/CT be performed within 3 months to 6 months after therapy. After this baseline scan, however, further routine PET/CT surveillance in asymptomatic patients has unclear benefit. Additional post-therapy PET/CT imaging should be individualized to patients based on considerations such as tumor type, stage, prognostic factors, symptoms, and clinical assessment.

Keywords: (18)F-FDG; Follow-up; Head and neck cancer; PET/CT; Surveillance.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
Follow-Up Studies
Head and Neck Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
Head and Neck Neoplasms* / therapy
Humans
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography* / methods
Positron-Emission Tomography / methods
Radiopharmaceuticals
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods

Substances

Radiopharmaceuticals
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18