Response assessment after induction chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: From physical examination to modern imaging techniques and beyond.
Remco de BreeGregory T WolfBart de KeizerIain James NixonDana M HartlArlene A ForastiereMissak HaigentzAlessandra RinaldoJuan P RodrigoNabil F SabaCarlos SuárezJan B VermorkenAlfio FerlitoPublished in: Head & neck (2017)
Significant correlations between the response to induction chemotherapy and success of subsequent radiotherapy have been reported and suggest that the response to induction chemotherapy is able to predict a response to radiotherapy. Therefore, induction chemotherapy may be used to tailor the treatment plan to the individual patient with head and neck cancer: following the planned subsequent (chemo)radiation schedule, planning a radiation dose boost, or reassessing the modality of treatment (eg, upfront surgery). Findings from reported trials suggest room for improvement in clinical response assessment after induction chemotherapy, but an optimal method has yet to be identified. Historically, indices of treatment efficacy in solid tumors have been based solely on systematic assessment of tumor size. However, functional imaging (eg, fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) potentially provides an earlier indication of response to treatment than conventional imaging techniques. More advanced imaging techniques are still in an exploratory phase and are not ready for use in clinical practice.
Keyphrases
- positron emission tomography
- locally advanced
- computed tomography
- high resolution
- pet ct
- early stage
- clinical practice
- squamous cell carcinoma
- mental health
- minimally invasive
- combination therapy
- pet imaging
- acute coronary syndrome
- mass spectrometry
- drug delivery
- radiation induced
- rectal cancer
- atrial fibrillation
- surgical site infection