• 5/8/2006
  • New York, NY
  • David Douglas
  • cancerpage.com

F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in combination with computed tomography (CT) offers advantages when planning head and neck cancer radiotherapy, researchers report in the May issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics.

“This study,” lead investigator Dr. Dian Wang told Reuters Health, “has proved that the fusion between diagnostic PET and radiotherapy planning CT is feasible and enhances radiotherapy target definition when compared with CT-based radiotherapy planning.”

“This fusion technology is critical for advanced radiotherapy planning such as intensity modulated radiation treatment — IMRT — for treatment of head and neck cancer in terms of high dose conformality to tumor target and sparing of normal tissue structures from high-dose irradiation.”

Dr. Wang of The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and colleagues came to this conclusion after a pilot study in which 28 patients with head and neck cancer were evaluated using both techniques. The images were fused and used to generate IMRT plans.

The combination approach led to CT-based staging changes in 16 (57%) of patients. Volume analysis showed that the gross target volumes in the fused images were significantly different from those generated from CT scans alone in 14 of 16 patients.

At a median follow-up of 17 months, 16 patients had no loco-regional recurrence.

“Even though it’s a small sample group,” Dr. Wang added in a statement, “this study shows that fusion of PET/CT with standard CT treatment planning images is not only feasible but can actually improve the precision of radiation treatment planning for head and neck IMRT by allowing more accurate tumor definition.”

“We’re hoping,” Dr. Wang concluded, “that this study will encourage our colleagues to consider the incorporation of PET/CT target definition into IMRT treatment planning for head and neck cancer patients.”

Source:
Int J Radiation Oncology Biol Phys 2006;65:143-151.