RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Molecular Imaging in Radiotherapy Planning for Head and Neck Tumors
JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine
JO J Nucl Med
FD Society of Nuclear Medicine
SP 331
OP 334
DO 10.2967/jnumed.110.075689
VO 52
IS 3
A1 Vincent Grégoire
A1 Arturo Chiti
YR 2011
UL http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/52/3/331.abstract
AB Molecular imaging uses noninvasive techniques to visualize various biologic pathways and physiologic characteristics of tumors and normal tissues. In relation to radiation therapy, PET with the tracer 18F-FDG offers a unique opportunity to refine the target volume delineation in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, in turn affecting dose distribution and, it is hoped, patient outcome. Even more so, in the framework of adaptive treatment and theragnostics, whereby dose distribution is adapted in space and time over the typical course of radiotherapy, molecular imaging with PET offers an elegant research avenue to further improve the therapeutic ratio. Such implementation could be of particular interest with tracers other than 18F-FDG, such as tracers of hypoxia and proliferation.