Combining images from positron emission tomography and computed tomography improves radiotherapy planning and delivery for patients with head and neck cancer and increases survival, according to an article in the May issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics.

The pilot study, conducted with 28 patients, evaluated whether combining positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) images to plan intensity modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT, treatments for patients resulted in better delivery of radiation and lower recurrence rates.

The American researchers fused images captured from both PET and CT scans and found that the proposed treatment plans were very different in 14 of 16 patients whose plans had been designed using CT scanning alone. Of the 28 patients who were followed for more than six months after treatment, 16 showed no signs of recurrence.

The current standard of care for head and neck cancer patients involves surgery or radiation for early-stage cancer and some combination of radiation, surgery or chemotherapy for advanced cases. The high doses of radiation therapy that patients receive cause toxicity which can negatively affect patients’ quality of life.

This study showed that IMRT, which modifies the intensity of radiation beams to both the tumor and surrounding healthy tissue in order to avoid side effects while eradicating cancer, can be used as an alternative to standard radiation therapy and improve patients’ quality of life after cancer treatment.

“Even though it’s a small sample group, this study shows the fusion of PET/CT can significantly improve treatment planning for radiation therapy and might ultimately help patients with head and neck cancer who receive radiation therapy beat their disease,” said Dian Wang, MD, PhD, lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

“In addition, these patients may experience fewer side effects as the PET/CT-based target definition decreases the likelihood of including adjacent tissues that do not contain microscopic tumor cells in the high dose treatment volume. We’re hoping that this study will encourage our colleagues to consider PET/CT fusion with IMRT for both initial staging and treatment planning for head and neck cancer patients.”