Vol 24, No 2 (2021)
Research paper
Published online: 2021-07-30

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Value of [18F]FDG PET-CT in the follow-up of surgically treated oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma: single centre cohort analysis on 87 patients

Marco Ravanelli1, Alberto Grammatica2, Guido Squassina1, Francesco Bertagna3, Domenico Albano3, Davide Lancini2, Paolo Bosio2, Angelo Zigliani1, Giorgio Maria Agazzi1, Roberto Maroldi1, Piero Nicolai4, Raffaele Giubbini3, Cesare Piazza2, Davide Farina1
Pubmed: 34382669
Nucl. Med. Rev 2021;24(2):58-62.

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]FDG-PET/CT) scan in detecting local recurrences in patients with surgically treated oral tongue squamous cell cancer (OTSCC).

Material and methods: Eighty-seven patients who had undergone surgery for OTSCC were monitored clinically and [18F]FDGPET/CT and magnetic resonance (MR). PET uptakes were classified as functional (Type A), suspicious (Type B), or highly suggestive of local recurrence (Type C). A multidisciplinary team (MDT) evaluated case-by-case the surveillance strategy based on PET uptake.

Results: Fifty-nine patients presented FDG-PET uptake during follow-up: this report was significantly more frequent in patients who received flap reconstruction than in those without (73% vs 50%; p = 0.05). In 13 patients with Type A (n = 1), Type B (n = 9), and Type C (n = 3) uptakes an additional MR was considered preferable and discovered recurrence in 12.PET-CT had 9 true positives, 17 false positives, 71 true negatives, and no false-negative, resulting in sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of 100%, 80.7%, 34.6%, and 100%.

Conclusions: The present results demonstrated a change in diagnostic strategy, as decided by the MDT, in about one-fifth of patients. The results should prompt in designing a rational surveillance schedule in surgically treated OTSCC.

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