Effect of time-of-flight technique on the diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG PET/CT for assessment of lymph node metastases in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Unlabelled: Precise assessment of lymph node metastases is critical to the treatment outcome and overall survival of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of time-of-flight (TOF) technique on the diagnostic performance of (18)F-FDG PET/CT for assessment of lymph node metastases in HNSCC patients.

Methods: In 39 patients with an initial diagnosis of HNSCC, preoperative staging (18)F-FDG PET/CT was performed to assess lymph node metastases before surgery and histologic verification.