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Caldarella C, De Risi M, Massaccesi M, Miccichè F, Bussu F, Galli J, Rufini V, Leccisotti L. Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Current Evidence and Innovative Applications. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1905. [PMID: 38791983 PMCID: PMC11119768 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
This article provides an overview of the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT in various clinical scenarios of head-neck squamous cell carcinoma, ranging from initial staging to treatment-response assessment, and post-therapy follow-up, with a focus on the current evidence, debated issues, and innovative applications. Methodological aspects and the most frequent pitfalls in head-neck imaging interpretation are described. In the initial work-up, 18F-FDG PET/CT is recommended in patients with metastatic cervical lymphadenectomy and occult primary tumor; moreover, it is a well-established imaging tool for detecting cervical nodal involvement, distant metastases, and synchronous primary tumors. Various 18F-FDG pre-treatment parameters show prognostic value in terms of disease progression and overall survival. In this scenario, an emerging role is played by radiomics and machine learning. For radiation-treatment planning, 18F-FDG PET/CT provides an accurate delineation of target volumes and treatment adaptation. Due to its high negative predictive value, 18F-FDG PET/CT, performed at least 12 weeks after the completion of chemoradiotherapy, can prevent unnecessary neck dissections. In addition to radiomics and machine learning, emerging applications include PET/MRI, which combines the high soft-tissue contrast of MRI with the metabolic information of PET, and the use of PET radiopharmaceuticals other than 18F-FDG, which can answer specific clinical needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmelo Caldarella
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Radiology and Oncologic Radiotherapy, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (M.D.R.); (L.L.)
| | - Marina De Risi
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Radiology and Oncologic Radiotherapy, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (M.D.R.); (L.L.)
| | - Mariangela Massaccesi
- Radiation Oncology Unit, Department of Radiology and Oncologic Radiotherapy, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Francesco Miccichè
- Radiation Oncology Unit, Ospedale Isola Tiberina—Gemelli Isola, 00186 Rome, Italy;
| | - Francesco Bussu
- Otorhinolaryngology Operative Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy;
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Jacopo Galli
- Otorhinolaryngology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Sensory Organs and Thorax, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
- Section of Otolaryngology, Department of Head-Neck and Sensory Organs, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Vittoria Rufini
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Radiology and Oncologic Radiotherapy, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (M.D.R.); (L.L.)
- Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiological Sciences and Hematology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Leccisotti
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Radiology and Oncologic Radiotherapy, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (M.D.R.); (L.L.)
- Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiological Sciences and Hematology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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De Bruycker A, De Neve W, Daisne JF, Vercauteren T, De Gersem W, Olteanu L, Berwouts D, Deheneffe S, Madani I, Goethals I, Duprez F. Disease Control and Late Toxicity in Adaptive Dose Painting by Numbers Versus Nonadaptive Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Phase 2 Trial. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2024:S0360-3016(24)00025-7. [PMID: 38387811 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2024.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Local recurrence remains the main cause of death in stage III-IV nonmetastatic head and neck cancer (HNC), with relapse-prone regions within high 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET)-signal gross tumor volume. We investigated if dose escalation within this subvolume combined with a 3-phase treatment adaptation could increase local (LC) and regional (RC) control at equal or minimized radiation-induced toxicity, by comparing adaptive 18F-FDG-PET voxel intensity-based dose painting by numbers (A-DPBN) with nonadaptive standard intensity modulated radiation therapy (S-IMRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS This 2-center randomized controlled phase 2 trial assigned (1:1) patients to receive A-DPBN or S-IMRT (+/-chemotherapy). Eligibility: nonmetastatic HNC of oral cavity, oro-/hypopharynx, or larynx, needing radio(chemo)therapy; T1-4N0-3 (exception: T1-2N0 glottic); KPS ≥ 70; ≥18 years; and informed consent. PRIMARY OUTCOMES 1-year LC and RC. The dose prescription for A-DPBN was intercurrently adapted in 2 steps to an absolute dose-volume limit (≤1.75 cm3 can receive >84 Gy and normalized isoeffective dose >96 Gy) as a safety measure during the study course after 4/7 A-DPBN patients developed ≥G3 mucosal ulcers. RESULTS Ninety-five patients were randomized (A-DPBN, 47; S-IMRT, 48). Median follow-up was 31 months (IQR, 14-48 months); 29 patients died (17 of cancer progression). A-DPBN resulted in superior LC compared with S-IMRT, with 1- and 2-year LC of 91% and 88% versus 78% and 75%, respectively (hazard ratio, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.13-8.71; P = .021). RC and overall survival were comparable between arms, as was overall grade (G) ≥3 late toxicity (36% vs 20%; P = .1). More ≥G3 late mucosal ulcers were observed in active smokers (29% vs 3%; P = .005) and alcohol users (33% vs 13%; P = .02), independent of treatment arm. Similarly, in the A-DPBN arm, significantly more patients who smoked at diagnosis developed ≥G3 (46% vs 12%; P = .005) and ≥G4 (29% vs 8%; P = .048) mucosal ulcers. One arterial blowout occurred after a G5 mucosal toxicity. CONCLUSIONS A-DPBN resulted in superior 1- and 2-year LC for HNC compared with S-IMRT. This supports further exploration in multicenter phase 3 trials. It will, however, be challenging to recruit a substantial patient sample for such trials, as concerns have arisen regarding the association of late mucosal ulcers when escalating the dose in continuing smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie De Bruycker
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Wilfried De Neve
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jean-François Daisne
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Université Catholique de Louvain, CHU-UCL-Namur, Namur, Belgium; Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Vercauteren
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Werner De Gersem
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luiza Olteanu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dieter Berwouts
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, AZ Maria-Middelares, AZ Jan Palfijn, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stéphanie Deheneffe
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Université Catholique de Louvain, CHU-UCL-Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Indira Madani
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ingeborg Goethals
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Fréderic Duprez
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
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Almhagen E, Dasu A, Johansson S, Traneus E, Ahnesjö A. Plan robustness and RBE influence for proton dose painting by numbers for head and neck cancers. Phys Med 2023; 115:103157. [PMID: 37939480 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2023.103157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the feasibility of dose painting by numbers (DPBN) with respect to robustness for proton therapy for head and neck cancers (HNC), and to study the influence of variable RBE on the TCP and OAR dose burden. METHODS AND MATERIALS Data for 19 patients who have been scanned pretreatment with PET-FDG and subsequently treated with photon therapy were used in the study. A dose response model developed for photon therapy was implemented in a TPS, allowing DPBN plans to be created. Conventional homogeneous dose and DPBN plans were created for each patient, optimized with either fixed RBE = 1.1 or a variable RBE model. Robust optimization was used to create clinically acceptable plans. To estimate the maximum potential loss in TCP due to actual SUV variations from the pre-treatment imaging, we applied a test case with randomized SUV distribution. RESULTS Regardless of the use of variable RBE for optimization or evaluation, a statistically significant increase (p < 0.001) in TCP was found for DPBN plans as compared to homogeneous dose plans. Randomizing the SUV distribution decreased the TCP for all plans. A correlation between TCP increase and variance of the SUV distribution and target volume was also found. CONCLUSION DPBN for protons and HNC is feasible and could lead to a TCP gain. Risks associated with the temporal variation of SUV distributions could be mitigated by imposing minimum doses to targets. The correlation found between TCP increase and SUV variance and target volume may be used for patient selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Almhagen
- Medical Radiation Sciences, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden; The Skandion Clinic, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Alexandru Dasu
- Medical Radiation Sciences, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden; The Skandion Clinic, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Silvia Johansson
- Divison of Oncology, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Anders Ahnesjö
- Medical Radiation Sciences, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden
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Adjogatse D, Michaelidou A, Sanchez Nieto B, Kozarski R, Sassoon I, Evans M, Rackley T, Shah S, Eaton D, Pike L, Curry S, Gould SM, Thomas C, Kong A, Petkar I, Reis-Ferreira M, Connor S, Barrington SF, Lei M, Guerrero Urbano T. Protocol letter: Intra-treatment Image Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy Dose-escalation Study (InGReS) - A Phase 1 multicentre feasibility study. Radiother Oncol 2023; 183:109645. [PMID: 36997123 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2023.109645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Delali Adjogatse
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Clinical Oncology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - Andriana Michaelidou
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Clinical Oncology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Robert Kozarski
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Isabel Sassoon
- Computer Science Department, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Mererid Evans
- Department of Oncology, Velindre University NHS Trust, Cardiff, UK
| | - Thomas Rackley
- Department of Oncology, Velindre University NHS Trust, Cardiff, UK
| | - Simon Shah
- Department of Medical Physics, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - David Eaton
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Medical Physics, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Lucy Pike
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sorcha Curry
- King's College and Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital PET Centre, London, UK
| | - Sarah-May Gould
- King's College and Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital PET Centre, London, UK
| | - Christopher Thomas
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Medical Physics, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Anthony Kong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Imran Petkar
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Miguel Reis-Ferreira
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Stephen Connor
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Radiology Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Department of Neuroradiology, King's College Hospital, London UK
| | - Sally Fiona Barrington
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK; King's College and Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital PET Centre, London, UK
| | - Mary Lei
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Teresa Guerrero Urbano
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; King's College London, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, London, UK
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Thorwarth D. Clinical use of positron emission tomography for radiotherapy planning - Medical physics considerations. Z Med Phys 2023; 33:13-21. [PMID: 36272949 PMCID: PMC10068574 DOI: 10.1016/j.zemedi.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
PET/CT imaging plays an increasing role in radiotherapy treatment planning. The aim of this article was to identify the major use cases and technical as well as medical physics challenges during integration of these data into treatment planning. Dedicated aspects, such as (i) PET/CT-based radiotherapy simulation, (ii) PET-based target volume delineation, (iii) functional avoidance to optimized organ-at-risk sparing and (iv) functionally adapted individualized radiotherapy are discussed in this article. Furthermore, medical physics aspects to be taken into account are summarized and presented in form of check-lists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Thorwarth
- Section for Biomedical Physics, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Tübingen; and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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Mallum A, Mkhize T, Akudugu JM, Ngwa W, Vorster M. The Role of Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomographic (PET/CT) Imaging for Radiation Therapy Planning: A Literature Review. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 13:diagnostics13010053. [PMID: 36611345 PMCID: PMC9818506 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13010053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
PET/CT is revolutionising radiotherapy treatment planning in many cancer sites. While its utility has been confirmed in some cancer sites, and is used in routine clinical practice, it is still at an experimental stage in many other cancer sites. This review discusses the utility of PET/CT in cancer sites where the role of PET/CT has been established in cases such as head and neck, cervix, brain, and lung cancers, as well as cancer sites where the role of PET/CT is still under investigation such as uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Finally, the review touches on PET/CT utilisation in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abba Mallum
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Durban 4091, South Africa
- University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri 600104, Nigeria
- Correspondence: or
| | - Thokozani Mkhize
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inkosi Albert Central Hospital, Durban 4091, South Africa
| | - John M. Akudugu
- Division of Radiobiology, Department of Medical Imaging and Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa
| | - Wilfred Ngwa
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farmer Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mariza Vorster
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inkosi Albert Central Hospital, Durban 4091, South Africa
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Hirata K, Tamaki N. Quantitative FDG PET Assessment for Oncology Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040869. [PMID: 33669531 PMCID: PMC7922629 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary PET enables quantitative assessment of tumour biology in vivo. Accumulation of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) may reflect tumour metabolic activity. Quantitative assessment of FDG uptake can be applied for treatment monitoring. Numerous studies indicated biochemical change assessed by FDG-PET as a more sensitive marker than morphological change. Those with complete metabolic response after therapy may show better prognosis. Assessment of metabolic change may be performed using absolute FDG uptake or metabolic tumour volume. More recently, radiomics approaches have been applied to FDG PET. Texture analysis quantifies intratumoral heterogeneity in a voxel-by-voxel basis. Combined with various machine learning techniques, these new quantitative parameters hold a promise for assessing tissue characterization and predicting treatment effect, and could also be used for future prognosis of various tumours. Abstract Positron emission tomography (PET) has unique characteristics for quantitative assessment of tumour biology in vivo. Accumulation of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) may reflect tumour characteristics based on its metabolic activity. Quantitative assessment of FDG uptake can often be applied for treatment monitoring after chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Numerous studies indicated biochemical change assessed by FDG PET as a more sensitive marker than morphological change estimated by CT or MRI. In addition, those with complete metabolic response after therapy may show better disease-free survival and overall survival than those with other responses. Assessment of metabolic change may be performed using absolute FDG uptake in the tumour (standardized uptake value: SUV). In addition, volumetric parameters such as metabolic tumour volume (MTV) have been introduced for quantitative assessment of FDG uptake in tumour. More recently, radiomics approaches that focus on image-based precision medicine have been applied to FDG PET, as well as other radiological imaging. Among these, texture analysis extracts intratumoral heterogeneity on a voxel-by-voxel basis. Combined with various machine learning techniques, these new quantitative parameters hold a promise for assessing tissue characterization and predicting treatment effect, and could also be used for future prognosis of various tumours, although multicentre clinical trials are needed before application in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Hirata
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan;
| | - Nagara Tamaki
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
- Correspondence:
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