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Clinical Investigation |
1 Molecular Imaging Center and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 2 Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 3 Department of Radiation Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 4 Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; and 5 Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Correspondence: For correspondence or reprints contact: Joseph Tung-Chieh Chang, Department of Radiation Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, 5 Fu-Shin St., Kueishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan. E-mail: jtchang{at}adm.cgmh.org.tw
This prospective study compares the efficacies of whole-body 18F-FDG PET and a conventional work-up (CWU) in evaluating the treatment response for patients with locoregional advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after primary curative therapy and investigates the impact of PET on patient management. Methods: Patients who had locoregional advanced NPC (stages III and IVa-b, staged by 18F-FDG PET and CWU) and who had completed primary curative therapy for 3 mo were enrolled. The curative therapy consisted of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with or without induction chemotherapy. All of the patients also underwent 18F-FDG PET and CWU to evaluate the response. The criteria for final diagnosis were based on pathology or subsequent follow-up for at least 6 mo. Rates of detection by 18F-FDG PET and CWU and the impact on management were determined on site and patient bases, respectively. Results: From January 2002 to August 2005, 131 patients with NPC were eligible, including 71 patients with stage III NPC (group A) and 60 patients with stage IVa-b NPC (group B). Twelve patients were proven to have residual tumors. 18F-FDG PET had a higher overall sensitivity than CWU in group A (100% vs. 25%) and group B (91.7% vs. 58.3%). The overall specificity of PET was significantly higher than that of CWU in group B (97.6% vs. 91.7%; P = 0.019) but was slightly lower in group A (95.7% vs. 96.7%). The overall accuracy of PET also was significantly higher than that of CWU in group B (97.2% vs. 89.4%; P = 0.002) but was similar to that of CWU in group A (95.8% vs. 95.3%). PET resulted in management changes in 11 patients (15.4%; 11/71) in group A, with positive and negative impacts on 3 and 8 patients, respectively. In group B, the management of 26 of 60 patients (43%) was changed as a result of PET and included positive impacts on 23 patients and negative impacts on 3 patients. Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET plays differential roles in patients with stage III NPC and stage IVa-b NPC after primary curative therapy. PET has higher sensitivity and specificity in evaluating the response and results in better management of patients with stage IVa-b NPC. PET has a less prominent impact on patient management but higher sensitivity in patients with stage III NPC.
Key Words: 18F-FDG PET • nasopharyngeal carcinoma • residual tumor • clinical impact • response evaluation
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