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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 1/2016

01-01-2016 | Original Article

Locoregional tumour evaluation of squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck area: a comparison between MRI, PET/CT and integrated PET/MRI

Authors: Benedikt Michael Schaarschmidt, Philipp Heusch, Christian Buchbender, Marcus Ruhlmann, Christoph Bergmann, Verena Ruhlmann, Marc Schlamann, Gerald Antoch, Michael Forsting, Axel Wetter

Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the accuracy of integrated 18F-FDG PET/MR imaging for locoregional tumour evaluation compared to 18F-FDG PET/CT and MR imaging in initial tumour and recurrence diagnosis in histopathologically confirmed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods

18F-FDG PET/CT and integrated 18F-FDG PET/MR imaging were performed for initial tumour staging or recurrence diagnosis in 25 patients with HNSCC. MR, fused 18F-FDG PET/CT and fused 18F-FDG PET/MR images were analysed by two independent readers in separate sessions in random order. In initial tumour staging, T and N staging was performed while individual lesions were analysed in patients with suspected cancer recurrence. In T and N staging, histopathological results after tumour resection served as the reference standard while histopathological sampling as well as cross-sectional and clinical follow-up were accepted in cancer recurrence diagnosis. The diagnostic accuracy of each modality was calculated separately for T and N staging as well as for tumour recurrence, and compared using McNemar’s test. Values of p <0.017 were considered statistically significant after Bonferroni correction.

Results

In 12 patients undergoing 18F-FDG PET/CT and 18F-FDG PET/MR for initial tumour staging, T staging was accurate in 50 % with MRI, in 59 % with PET/CT and in 75 % with PET/MR while N staging was accurate in 75 % with MRI, in 77 % with PET/CT and in 71 % with PET/MR in relation to the reference standard. No significant differences were observed in T and N staging among the three modalities (p > 0.017). In 13 patients undergoing hybrid imaging for cancer recurrence diagnosis, diagnostic accuracy was 57 % with MRI and in 72 % with 18F-FDG PET/CT and 18F-FDG PET/MR, respectively. Again, no significant differences were found among the three modalities (p > 0.017).

Conclusion

In this initial study, no significant differences were found among 18F-FDG PET/MR, 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI in local tumour staging and cancer recurrence diagnosis.
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Metadata
Title
Locoregional tumour evaluation of squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck area: a comparison between MRI, PET/CT and integrated PET/MRI
Authors
Benedikt Michael Schaarschmidt
Philipp Heusch
Christian Buchbender
Marcus Ruhlmann
Christoph Bergmann
Verena Ruhlmann
Marc Schlamann
Gerald Antoch
Michael Forsting
Axel Wetter
Publication date
01-01-2016
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging / Issue 1/2016
Print ISSN: 1619-7070
Electronic ISSN: 1619-7089
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-015-3145-z

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