Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a relative new diagnostic imaging technique. In patients tumour tissue can be visualized using PET camera after intravenous injection of fluor-18-deoxy-glucose (FDG). In patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma FDG-PET seems to be especially suitable to find an occult primary tumour in patients with a cervical lymph node metastasis of an unknown primary tumour, to screen for distant metastases and second primary tumours and to detect a recurrent laryngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy. For these indications FDG-PET may play a role in the prevention of unnecessarily diagnostic examinations and treatments. The definitive value of FDG-PET for these indications is currently under further investigation. The role of FDG-PET for the detection of lymph node metastases and prediction and monitoring of response on radiotherapy and chemotherapy is yet unclear. Developments of new techniques like fusion of PET with CT and MRI, the use of positron emitter labelled monoclonal antibodies and new tracers are in progress.
| Translated title of the contribution | Clinical applications of fluoro-18-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck |
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| Original language | Dutch |
| Pages (from-to) | 91-100 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Keel- Neus- Oorheelkunde |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - 2002 |