Head and Neck Cancer - 60 year old male

Clinical History
A 60 year old male with a history of left oropharyngeal carcinoma underwent chemotherapy, radiation therapy and brachytherapy. Two months after treatment a PET•CT scan was recommended to evaluate for restaging.

Imaging Findings


There was focal marked abnormal increased FDG uptake identified in the left oral cavity and parapharyngeal space corresponding to the soft tissue in this region on the CT scan, highly suspicious for local recurrent malignancy.

Treatment
The patient was referred for further treatment and was monitored with subsequent PET•CT scans.

Discussion
We have found the use of PET•CT very helpful, not only for the initial evaluation of patients for radiation therapy planning, but also in the follow-up of these patients after radiation treatment. PET•CT can be very helpful in identifying areas of residual or recurrent tumor and can be used to detect areas that have failed therapy or identify new areas of involvement on follow-up imaging. Further studies are needed to determine what a negative PET or PET•CT scan means in most patient populations following radiation therapy in terms of disease free survival and overall survival.

Data courtesy of Dr. Todd Blodgett, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Any of the protocols presented herein are for informational purposes and are not meant to substitute for clinician judgment in how best to use any medical devices. It is the clinician that makes all diagnostic determinations based upon education, learning and experience.