Effect of PET-CT on the Timing of Diagnostics and Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

In the diagnostic workup of a newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patient PET-CT scans are characterized by a high sensitivity for malignant tumors and metastases. Compared to traditional CT imaging PET-CT detects pathological findings often warranting further workup. This leads to the question whether workup following incidental findings in PET-CTs leads to a delay in tumor therapy.

The PET-CT results of all primary head and neck cancer cases (n = 65) at Hannover Medical School of 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Demographic data, the TNM-status and follow-up diagnostics after PET-CT findings were documented.

Various findings were reported in 95 % (n = 32) of patients receiving PET-CT scans (n = 34). However only in 2 cases further workup was recommended urgently. One was a later confirmed case of synchronous colon carcinoma with liver metastases and the other was a case of acute pancreatitis (the patient reported abdominal discomfort the day before and the PET-CT led to a faster diagnosis). For these patients therapy began 35 days after the PET-CT, for the other patients the average time to therapy was 24 days (1-67d). There were no false-positively suspected metastatic or malignant lesions in the PET-CT reports.

Our results confirm a high sensitivity of PET-CT scans in the frame of head and neck cancer staging. Differentiating between neoplastic and inflammatory lesions is possible resulting in no falsely suspected malignant lesions in our patients. Hence there was no delay in therapy due to incidental PET-CT findings.

Poster-PDF A-1116.PDF

Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020