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Results of an Ontario Clinical Oncology Group (OCOG) prospective cohort study on the use of FDG PET/CT to predict the need for neck dissection following radiation therapy of head and neck cancer (HNC).
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Results of an Ontario Clinical Oncology Group (OCOG) prospective cohort study on the use of FDG PET/CT to predict the need for neck dissection following radiation therapy of head and neck cancer (HNC) Authors: Waldron JN, Gilbert RW, Eapen L, Hammond A, Hodson DI, Hendler A, Perez-Ordonez B, Gu C, Julian JA, Julian DH and MN Levine Reviewed by Dr. Stephanie Snow ASCO 2011 abstract 5504 Oral Session June 6, 2011 Date posted: June 2011
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Background • Upwards of 50% of node-positive head and neck cancer (HNC) patients will have residual nodes visible on CT following curative intent radiation +/- chemotherapy • ~1/3 of these will harbour residual cancer and can be cured by surgical neck dissection • CT, MRI and US guided FNA have limited sensitivity and/or specificity in detecting residual nodal disease • The question has been raised whether FDG-avidity on the post-therapy PET/CT can be used to better predict which patients are likely to need surgery: • 2 prospective case series reached differing conclusions
Study Design • Prospective multi-centre study performed at four regional cancer centres in Ontario, Canada with n=398 • Subjects: • Squamous cell HNC with N2 or N3 neck disease • Post-curative intent treatment with radiation +/- chemotherapy with full dose radiation delivered to all suspected nodal disease • All subjects had CT and PET/CT performed before treatment and 8-10 weeks post therapy • Intervention: • All subjects with residual nodes >1cm axial dimension on post-treatment CT or positive PET-CT underwent neck dissection within four weeks of imaging • Pathologic results of neck dissection were correlated with post treatment imaging • Patients were then followed for two years
RESULTS: PET/CT 353 subjects had post therapy PET/CT scan at a mean of 9.2 weeks (range 4-19) 151 underwent a neck dissection
RESULTS: CT 154 patients who had a post-treatment CT underwent a neck dissection
STUDY COMMENTARY • Largest prospective trial to address this question to date • Canadian data • There is significant potential for functional impairment and compromise in quality of life after a neck dissection • A test with high sensitivity and negative predictive value could help predict who does NOT have residual disease • In this trial, enhanced CT scan was superior to PET/CT in sensitivity and negative predictive value, and the authors concluded that PET/CT should NOT be used to determine need for neck dissection
BOTTOM LINE FOR CANADIAN MEDICAL ONCOLOGISTS • This trial does not provide evidence for a clear role of PET/CT to assess for nodal disease post HNC therapy, however, the conclusion that PET/CT should not be used in neck dissection decisions may be pre-mature • This is a question that is still important to explore as there were a number of potentially confounding issues: • Impact of HPV status on radiographic nodal response rates is unknown and could have been important in this study with 73% oropharyngeal primaries • Optimal timing for post-treatment PET/CT – the positive prospective trial did PET/CT at 12 weeks