Publication

Local resectability assessment of head and neck cancer: Positron emission tomography/MRI versus positron emission tomography/CT

Journal Paper/Review - May 13, 2017

Units
PubMed
Doi

Citation
Sekine T, Veit-Haibach P, von Schulthess G, Kollias S, Huber G, Ter Voert E, Stolzmann P, Burger I, Delso G, Barbosa F, Huellner M. Local resectability assessment of head and neck cancer: Positron emission tomography/MRI versus positron emission tomography/CT. Head & neck 2017; 39:1550-1558.
Type
Journal Paper/Review (English)
Journal
Head & neck 2017; 39
Publication Date
May 13, 2017
Issn Electronic
1097-0347
Pages
1550-1558
Brief description/objective

BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET)/MRI with PET/CT for local resectability of head and neck cancer.

METHODS
Sequential contrast-enhanced PET/CT-MRI was performed in 58 patients referred for the staging or restaging of head and neck cancer. Tumors were assessed with PET/CT and PET/MRI for the presence of resectability-defining factors: T4b status (mediastinal invasion, invasion of the prevertebral space, and vascular encasement), and another 8 findings that would imply obstacles for surgical cure (invasion of the laryngeal cartilage, invasion of the preepiglottic fat pad, perineural spread, orbital invasion, bone infiltration, skull base invasion, dural infiltration, and invasion of the brachial plexus).

RESULTS
The sensitivity/specificity/accuracy of local resectability-defining factors of PET/CT and PET/MRI was 0.92/0.99/0.98 and 0.98/0.99/0.99 (P = .727), respectively, per lesion, and 0.96/0.87/0.91 and 0.96/0.90/0.93 (P = .687), respectively, per patient.

CONCLUSION
Both contrast-enhanced PET/MRI and contrast-enhanced PET/CT can serve as reliable examinations for defining local resectability of head and neck cancer.