Impact of Concurrent Diagnostic Level CT With PET/CT on the Utilization of Stand-Alone CT and MRI in the Management of Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Abstract

The opportunity to order simultaneous diagnostic CT imaging with PET/CT (PET/DCT) reduced the referrals for stand-alone CT neck imaging in the initial treatment plan of head and neck cancer patients when compared to a service that only offered the PET/CT scan with CT for attenuation correction (PET/aCT).

Accuracy of 18-F Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomographic/Computed Tomographic Imaging in Primary Staging of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity

“…The value of positron emission tomography (PET) with 18-F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in the preoperative staging of head and neck SCC has been demonstrated in the literature. [21][22][23][24][25][26] However, only a few prospective studies that used FDG PET/CT imaging in cohorts with SCC of the oral cavity have thus far been conducted. 24,27 A 2019 multicenter study obtained a high negative predictive value of FDG PET/CT in clinically noted N0 status of the neck sides of patients with head and neck SCC after imaging via MRI and/or CT. 28 However, the preselection used in the study impedes general conclusions as to the diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET/CT and does not reveal whether this procedure can replace stand-alone morphologic imaging.…”

Targeting fibroblast activation protein in newly diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity – initial experience and comparison to [18F]FDG PET/CT and MRI

“…Due to the high glucose consumption of tumor cells, [ 18 F] FDG is the reference tool for molecular imaging of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and has proven its clinical value in a number of trials with high sensitivity and acceptable specificity [13][14][15][16][17][18]41]. A recent multi-center trial including 23 different imaging sites in the US prospectively evaluated the value of [ 18 F]FDG PET/CT in patients with newly diagnosed, first-time, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and confirmed the high negative predictive value of this imaging modality [42].…”

“…The utility of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with [ 18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose ([ 18 F] FDG) for staging malignancies of the head and neck is well documented [13][14][15][16][17][18]. However, specificity of [ 18 F]FDG is hampered by uptake in inflammatory cells such as neutrophils or macrophages [19].…”

FDG PET/CT for Management and Assessing Outcomes of Squamous Cell Cancer of the Oral Cavity

“…In addition, PET/CT is being increasingly performed with IV contrast material and diagnosticquality CT (Fig. 2), combining the benefits of high-resolution anatomic imaging and functional imaging and facilitating primary tumor delineation [26,27]. PET/CT is also useful for visualizing the primary lesion when there are marked streak artifacts on CT images (Fig.…”