Detecting Residual/Recurrent Head Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas Using PET or PET/CT: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Detecting Residual/Recurrent Head Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas Using PET or PET/CT: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 Dec 29;

Authors: Cheung PK, Chin RY, Eslick GD

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/computed tomography (CT) for detecting residual and/or recurrent local and regional disease and distant metastases in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) following radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy.
DATA SOURCES: A systematic review with no language restrictions was conducted using PREMEDLINE, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar.
REVIEW METHODS: Only prospective studies with histopathological and/or clinical follow-up that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of PET and PET/CT in detecting residual and/or recurrent disease following radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy in patients with HNSCCs were included.
RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies were identified. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of PET and PET/CT for detecting residual or recurrent disease at the primary site was 86.2% and 82.3%, respectively. For residual and recurrent neck disease, the sensitivity and specificity were 72.3% and 88.3%, while for distant metastases, the values were 84.6% and 94.9%.
CONCLUSIONS: PET and PET/CT are highly accurate in detecting residual and/or recurrent HNSCC. PET/CT is more specific than PET alone. Specificity is also greater for scans performed more than 12 weeks after radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. The authors support the use of PET/CT after 12 weeks posttreatment for the assessment of residual or recurrent disease.

PMID: 26715675 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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