[Positron emission tomography in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) is increasingly vital in cancer imaging.
• Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) management benefits significantly from advanced imaging techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the essential applications of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose PET in head and neck SCC.
• To present decision schemes for optimizing PET utilization in SCC patient care.
• To discuss the advantages, drawbacks, and future directions of PET in this oncologic field.

Main Methods:

• Thematic review of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose PET applications in head and neck SCC.
• Analysis of literature data and clinical experience.
• Development of decision-making algorithms for PET use.

Main Results:

• Identified key uses: initial staging, detecting cervical lymph node metastases from unknown primaries, and post-therapeutic follow-up.
• Highlighted the benefits and limitations of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose PET in managing head and neck SCC.
• Proposed optimized strategies for integrating PET into clinical workflows.

Conclusions:

• 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose PET is an essential tool for head and neck SCC management.
• Optimized use of PET, guided by decision schemes, improves patient care.
• Emerging applications and new tracers promise further advancements in PET imaging for SCC.