[PET-CT in head and neck cancer]

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Oncology
• Radiology

Background:

• ¹⁸F-fluorodesoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG-PET) is increasingly vital for diagnosing malignant diseases due to its high sensitivity and whole-body imaging capabilities.
• FDG-PET is particularly beneficial for head and neck tumors, where accurate staging significantly impacts prognosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the diagnostic applications of combined PET and computed tomography (CT) in head and neck cancer.
• To highlight the role of PET-CT in primary staging, tumor follow-up, and managing cancer of unknown primary origin (CUP).
• To discuss PET-CT in radiotherapy planning and emerging PET technologies.

Main Methods:

• Review of combined PET-CT imaging modalities for head and neck cancer diagnosis.
• Evaluation of PET-CT in primary staging and disease surveillance.
• Assessment of PET-CT utility in cancer of unknown primary origin (CUP) cases.
• Discussion of PET-CT for radiotherapy planning and advancements in PET technology.

Main Results:

• FDG-PET/CT offers high sensitivity for detecting malignant lesions in the head and neck region.
• PET-CT is effective for accurate tumor staging, influencing therapeutic decisions.
• The method aids in identifying primary tumors in CUP cases and monitoring treatment response.
• PET-CT integration improves radiotherapy planning accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Combined PET-CT imaging is a powerful tool for the comprehensive management of head and neck cancer.
• PET-CT plays a critical role in staging, follow-up, radiotherapy planning, and diagnosing CUP.
• Advancements in PET technology continue to enhance its diagnostic value in oncology.