PET/MR Imaging in Head and Neck Cancer

Minerva Becker; Claudio de Vito; Nicolas Dulguerov; Habib Zaidi

doi:10.1016/j.mric.2023.08.001

PET/MR Imaging in Head and Neck Cancer

Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. 2023 Nov;31(4):539-564. doi: 10.1016/j.mric.2023.08.001.

Authors

Minerva Becker¹, Claudio de Vito², Nicolas Dulguerov³, Habib Zaidi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Diagnostic Department, Division of Radiology, Unit of Head and Neck and Maxillofacial Radiology, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, Geneva 14 1211, Switzerland. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Diagnostic Department, Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, Geneva 14 1211, Switzerland.
³ Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Unit of Cervicofacial Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, Geneva 14 1211, Switzerland.
⁴ Diagnostic Department, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, Geneva 14 1211, Switzerland; Geneva University Neurocenter, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands; Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.

PMID: 37741640
DOI: 10.1016/j.mric.2023.08.001

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) can either be examined with hybrid PET/MR imaging systems or sequentially, using PET/CT and MR imaging. Regardless of the acquisition technique, the superiority of MR imaging compared to CT lies in its potential to interrogate tumor and surrounding tissues with different sequences, including perfusion and diffusion. For this reason, PET/MR imaging is preferable for the detection and assessment of locoregional residual/recurrent HNSCC after therapy. In addition, MR imaging interpretation is facilitated when combined with PET. Nevertheless, distant metastases and distant second primary tumors are detected equally well with PET/MR imaging and PET/CT.

Keywords: Diffusion-weighted imaging; Head and neck cancer; MR imaging; PET/MR imaging; Staging.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Head and Neck Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography*
Positron-Emission Tomography
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck