The value of ¹⁸F‐FDG‐PET/CT imaging in oral cavity cancer patients following surgical reconstruction

Abstract

4.

Droplet digital PCR for detection and quantification of circulating tumor DNA in plasma of head and neck cancer patients

“…computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET)). However, early detection of recurrent disease is challenging due to lymph nodal micrometastases and radiation or surgery induced fibrosis and inflammation, obscuring residual or recurrent tumor tissue [1–3]. Accurate and timely detection of locoregional metastases and recurrent disease is pivotal as survival rates rapidly decline with late detection and delayed salvage surgery [4, 5].…”

Local resectability assessment of head and neck cancer: Positron emission tomography/MRI versus positron emission tomography/CT

“…Notably, potential tumor resectability is not only assessed at baseline but also during follow‐up, if curative surgical therapy is contemplated or if local tumor recurrence is suspected. PET/CT is known to be helpful in previously treated patients because surgery and chemoradiotherapy result in anatomic changes that are difficult to characterize by CT or MRI alone . Contrast‐enhanced MRI is considered superior to contrast‐enhanced CT for the assessment of PNS and skull base invasion because of its intrinsic high soft tissue contrast and absence of beam‐hardening artifacts elicited by bones .…”

“…PET/ CT is known to be helpful in previously treated patients because surgery and chemoradiotherapy result in anatomic changes that are difficult to characterize by CT or MRI alone. 3,5,6 Contrast-enhanced MRI is considered superior to contrast-enhanced CT for the assessment of PNS and skull base invasion because of its intrinsic high soft tissue contrast and absence of beam-hardening artifacts elicited by bones. [7][8][9] PET/CT is additionally limited in tumors extending to the skull base because of spillover from adjacent 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-avid brain.…”

Utility of 3-Month Surveillance F-18 FDG PET/CT in Surgically Resected Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…has published results of surveillance monitoring PET/CT in OSCC treated with surgical resection; but in their reported cohort of 17 patients only 9 received radiation therapy. (17) In our study of OSCC patients managed with definitive resection and adjuvant (chemo)RT, surveillance PET/CT 3 months after therapy uncovered 20.4% of patients with new locoregional or distant disease, and 25.9% of all patients (14 of 54 patients) ultimately developed recurrent malignancy within 1 year of their post-therapy surveillance PET/CT. These recurrence rates are reflective of a high-risk population with locoregionally advanced disease requiring close surveillance.…”