ArticleHead & neck oncology2012
Positron emission tomography in the detection of occult primary head and neck carcinoma: a retrospective study.
Article in Head & neck oncology, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It carries an expression of concern. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Imaging of cancer of unknown primary: a systematic literature review of the past, present, and future.The British journal of radiology · 2025Pooled it
- Role of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT in head and neck oncology: the point of view of the radiation oncologist.The British journal of radiology · 2016Review
- Defining risk groups of patients with cancer of unknown primary site and cervical nodal metastases by F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography imaging.The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences · 2016Article
- (18)F-FDG PET/CT quantification in head and neck squamous cell cancer: principles, technical issues and clinical applications.European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2016Review
- Primary Malignant Neuroendocrine Tumour of Pleura: First Case Report.Case reports in oncological medicine · 2016Article
- PET imaging biomarkers in head and neck cancer.European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2015Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe management of cervical lymph node metastases from an unknown primary tumor remains a controversial subject. Recently, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has proved useful in the detection of these tumors, even after an unsuccessful conventional diagnostic workup. This study was performed to assess the role of PET in the detection of occult primary head and neck carcinomas.
methodsA retrospective analysis of a four year period at a tertiary referral oncology hospital was conducted.
resultsOf the 49 patients with cervical metastases of carcinoma from an unknown primary, PET detected a primary in 9 patients and gave 5 false positive and 4 false negative results. Detection rate, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were of 18.4%, 69.2%, 86.1% and 81.6%, respectively. PET was also of substantial benefit in detecting distant metastatic disease and, thus, altered therapeutic strategies in a significant amount of patients.
conclusionsTherefore, PET is a valuable tool in the management of patients with occult primary head and neck carcinoma, not only because it provides additional information as to the location of primary tumors, but also due to the fact that it can detect unexpected distant metastases.
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