Positron emission tomography with fluorodeoxyglucose for suspected head and neck tumor recurrence in the symptomatic patient.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the impact of positron emission tomography with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) in the treatment of patients suspected of having head and neck cancer recurrence.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective and consecutive inclusion of 44 patients presenting with clinical symptoms suggestive of head and neck tumor recurrence.

METHODS

FDG-PET was compared with combined computed tomography (CT) plus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures for the differential diagnosis between tumor recurrence and benign post-therapeutic changes. For FDG-PET, the potential additional value of semiquantitative indexes was studied. The impact on patient treatment (i.e., their ability to accurately select patients for panendoscopic exploration) was analyzed retrospectively for both CT+MRI and PET workups.

RESULTS

The diagnostic accuracy was found higher for PET than for combined CT+MRI: sensitivity ranged from 96% to 73%, specificity from 61% to 50%, and accuracy from 81% to 64% for PET and CT+MRI, respectively. The accuracy of FDG-PET was the highest (94%) in patients included more than 12 weeks after the end of therapy. In 15 discordant cases, PET was correct in 11 and CT+MRI in 4. Patient selection for panendoscopic exploration and biopsy was correct in 79% and 50% of patients with FDG-PET and CT+MRI, respectively. Quantification of FDG uptake had no additional value over visual analysis alone, although we found that a SUVlbm (standardized uptake value corrected for lean body mass) threshold of 3 could be helpful in patients scanned less than 12 weeks after the end of therapy.

CONCLUSION

FDG-PET has a major additional diagnostic value to CT+MRI for the evaluation of the symptomatic patient suspected of having head and neck cancer recurrence. PET could have a direct impact on management by correctly selecting patients in whom a panendoscopic exploration with biopsy is indicated.