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Comparative Study
. 2011 Oct;13(5):1036-42.
doi: 10.1007/s11307-010-0419-5.

18F-FET PET/CT in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: an intra-individual comparison with 18F-FDG PET/CT

Stephan Kurt Haerle  1 , Dorothee R Fischer, Daniel T Schmid, Nader Ahmad, Gerhard F Huber, Alfred Buck
Affiliations
Comparative Study

18F-FET PET/CT in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: an intra-individual comparison with 18F-FDG PET/CT

Stephan Kurt Haerle et al. Mol Imaging Biol. 2011 Oct.

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic value of O-2-fluoro-18(F)-ethyl-L-tyrosine ((18)F-FET) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma compared with 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) PET/CT at initial staging and following radiochemotherapy.

Procedures: Thirteen patients were prospectively enrolled; each of them underwent an (18)F-FDG PET/CT and (18)F-FET PET/CT before treatment. Ten of those were scanned 10 weeks after treatment.

Results: Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for (18)F-FDG PET/CT (primary and lymph node metastases) at initial staging were 89%, 50%, and 81%. For (18)F-FET PET/CT the numbers were 70%, 90%, and 74%. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for (18)F-FDG PET/CT at follow-up were 71%, 65%, and 67%. For (18)F-FET PET/CT the numbers were 29%, 100%, and 83%. Additionally, (18)F-FDG PET/CT detected a higher number of second malignancies or distant metastases.

Conclusions: (18)F-FET is no substitute for (18)F-FDG. Although it is more specific, too many malignant lesions are missed due to its lower sensitivity.

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