Usefulness of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in patients with a residual structural abnormality after difinitive treatments for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Abstract

Background. Residual structural abnormalities after definitive treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are common and pose difficult management problems. The usefulness of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) to supplement conventional evaluation with clinical and standard radiologic examination (CE) in such patients was assessed. Methods. Fifty-three eligible patients were identified with residual structural abnormalities on CE. True disease extent could be validated in 46 patients. Patients had a median potential follow-up of 55 months (range, 41-75 months) from the date of PET scan to the analysis closeout date. Results. PET had better d..