Clinical oncology : a journal of the Royal College of Radiologists
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Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) · Jun 2016
Prognostic Value of 2-[(18)F] Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography Scan Carried out During and After Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer Using Visual Therapy Response Interpretation Criteria.
To evaluate the prognostic utility of 2-[(18)F] fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG PET-CT) carried out in the third week (iPET) and after completion (pPET) of definitive radiation therapy in patients with mucosal primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (MPHNSCC) and to investigate the optimal visual grading criteria for therapy response assessment. ⋯ Standardised criteria using visual assessment are feasible. The metabolic response using visual assessment with standardised interpretation criteria of iPET and pPET can be useful predictors of tumour control. Dose de-escalation can be considered on the basis of a high NPV for iPET. However, the PPV of iPET is poor, indicating that additional discriminative tools are needed.