Early prediction of response to chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer: reliability of restaging with combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography.

Objective: To assess the role of combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) in predicting early treatment response at the primary site and in the neck after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

Design: Retrospective analysis with a median follow-up of 24 months.

Setting: Academic, tertiary referral center.