Positron Emission Tomography With [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose Improves Staging and Patient Management in Patients With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multicenter Prospective Study

Purpose To address the impact of positron emission tomography with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (PET-FDG) on the initial staging and management of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Patients and Methods This multicenter, prospective study included 233 patients with newly diagnosed and untreated HNSCC. TNM stage and therapeutic decision were first determined based on the conventional work-up (including physical examination, computed tomography [CT]/magnetic resonance imaging of the head and neck region, and thoracic CT) and sealed in envelope 1. Whole-body PET-FDG was then performed, and subsequent TNM stage and therapeutic decision were written in envelope 2. Changes in TNM stages and in patient management as a result of PET-FDG imaging were recorded. Clinical outcome and histopathology were used as gold standards to validate the TNM stage. Conventional and PET stages were compared using the McNemar test. Results Conventional and PET stage were discordant in 100 (43%) of 233 patients....