Use of PET in Head and Neck Cancers

Head and neck cancer imaging is especially necessary for staging. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are the techniques frequently used for this purpose. These methods are valuable for displaying detailed anatomical structures; however, they may be inadequate for making the distinction between recurrence, residual tumor, fibrosis, and normal tissues with an altered anatomy after treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and for the detection of metastases. From this point, positron emission tomography may be a promising imaging method. Scanning the entire body with a single method is an important advantage of positron emission tomography. It may be useful in the detection of synchronous tumors, which are a serious problem in head and neck cancers. Positron emission tomography may provide additional contribution for neck metastases, where the primary site is unknown and is undetectable by other imaging techniques.