Hybrid Imaging of Head and Neck Malignancies

Head and neck cancer represents approximately 2–4% of all malignancies in the United States, with an annual incidence of 38,000 new cases.1 The majority of these malignancies (over 90%) are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx, oropharynx, and oral cavity. Early detection and accurate staging of head and neck tumors are critical for selecting the appropriate treatment and therefore are of prognostic significance. After therapy, early detection of recurrence has been shown to improve patient outcome.2