Head and Neck Cancer Recurrence Detected Earlier by Follow-Up PET/CT

Most head and neck cancer follow-up studies use fluorodeoxyglucose-PET (FDG-PET) scans when recurrence is suspected, but few studies have been conducted to determine the benefit of PET scans in fixed intervals post-treatment.

Researchers in this study reviewed 234 head and neck cancer cases treated with chemoradiation between 2006 and 2010 that also underwent a posttherapy PET/CT scan. The scans identified 15 patients with abnormalities requiring further evaluation, and biopsies showed malignancies in eight of the 15 patients. The other seven cases were false-positives.

All of the patients who had negative PET/CT scans remained disease free in subsequent follow-ups. “With malignancies found in 53% of abnormal scans in this study, our research proves that PET/CT scans are valuable as routine follow-up and as a surveillance method for head and neck cancer patients,” said Yasir Rudha, MD, MBChB, lead author of the study and a researcher from St. John Hospital/Van Elslander Cancer Center (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, USA). “However, since the rate of false-positives was 46%, caution should be shown when ordering biopsies after abnormal scans to prevent excessive unnecessary biopsies.”

Related Links:
St. John Hospital/Van Elslander Cancer Center