Role of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Current Evidence and Innovative Applications.
Carmelo CaldarellaMarina De RisiMariangela MassaccesiFrancesco MiccichèFrancesco BussuJacopo GalliVittoria RufiniLucia LeccisottiPublished in: Cancers (2024)
This article provides an overview of the use of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in various clinical scenarios of head-neck squamous cell carcinoma, ranging from initial staging to treatment-response assessment, and post-therapy follow-up, with a focus on the current evidence, debated issues, and innovative applications. Methodological aspects and the most frequent pitfalls in head-neck imaging interpretation are described. In the initial work-up, 18 F-FDG PET/CT is recommended in patients with metastatic cervical lymphadenectomy and occult primary tumor; moreover, it is a well-established imaging tool for detecting cervical nodal involvement, distant metastases, and synchronous primary tumors. Various 18 F-FDG pre-treatment parameters show prognostic value in terms of disease progression and overall survival. In this scenario, an emerging role is played by radiomics and machine learning. For radiation-treatment planning, 18 F-FDG PET/CT provides an accurate delineation of target volumes and treatment adaptation. Due to its high negative predictive value, 18 F-FDG PET/CT, performed at least 12 weeks after the completion of chemoradiotherapy, can prevent unnecessary neck dissections. In addition to radiomics and machine learning, emerging applications include PET/MRI, which combines the high soft-tissue contrast of MRI with the metabolic information of PET, and the use of PET radiopharmaceuticals other than 18 F-FDG, which can answer specific clinical needs.
Keyphrases
- pet ct
- machine learning
- positron emission tomography
- contrast enhanced
- pet imaging
- lymph node
- squamous cell carcinoma
- computed tomography
- lymph node metastasis
- high resolution
- magnetic resonance imaging
- soft tissue
- magnetic resonance
- early stage
- climate change
- artificial intelligence
- rectal cancer
- locally advanced
- mass spectrometry
- optic nerve
- combination therapy
- mesenchymal stem cells
- neoadjuvant chemotherapy
- radiation therapy
- free survival
- sentinel lymph node
- gestational age
- radiation induced
- preterm birth
- robot assisted
- optical coherence tomography