Correlation of Clinical and Endoscopic Evaluation with PET-CT in Detecting Recurrence of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction
 The current study reports the correlation of clinical and endoscopic evaluation with 18F-Fluorine Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron emission tomography/Computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) findings in detecting the residual/recurrence tumor after definitive treatment in the follow up cases of squamous cell carcinoma head and neck.
 Materials and Methods
 A prospective comparative study carried out on 30 follow-up cancer patients after definitive primary treatment. All patients were evaluated by clinical examination, endoscopy and 18F-FDG PET/CT and these results correlated to detect residual/recurrence. Suspicious lesion at primary site suggesting residual/recurrence was confirmed by gold standard investigation, histopathological examination (HPE). 
 Result
 The age group mostly involved is 40-70 with male predominance. Predominant sites were oral cavity and larynx. 20 patients showed recurrence on clinical and endoscopic evaluation with 03 false positive results, 10 patients showed no recurrence with 01 false negative result. On PET/CT, 19 patients were showed recurrence with 01 false positive result, 11 patients showed no recurrence. PET/CT showed high sensitivity, specificity, with high NPV in detecting the recurrence of disease in the follow up period. Clinical and endoscopic evaluation also has high sensitivity, PPV and NPV.
 Conclusion
 It is recommended that 18F-FDG PET/CT scan should be done in every case after primary treatment in addition to complete clinical and endoscopic evaluation and during follow-up period for early detection and management of residual/ recurrence.