Objective. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of surveillance high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and physical examination/endoscopy (PE/E) with the efficacy of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/HRCT for the detection of relapse in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) after primary treatment. Methods. This is a retrospective analysis of contemporaneously performed FDG-PET/HRCT, neck HRCT, and PE/E in 99 curatively treated patients with HNSCC during post-therapy surveillance to compare performance test characteristics in the detection of early recurrence or second primary cancer. Results. Relapse occurred in 19 of 99 patients (20%) during a median follow-up of 21 months (range: 9 -52 months). Median time to first PET/HRCT was 3.5 months. The median time to radiological recurrence was 6 months (range: 2.3-32 months). FDG-PET/ HRCT detected more disease recurrences or second primary cancers and did so earlier than HRCT or PE/E. The sensitivity, specificity,andpositiveandnegativepredictivevaluesfordetectinglocoregionalanddistantrecurrenceorsecondprimarycancer were 100%, 87.3%, 56.5%, and 100%, respectively, for PET/HRCT versus 61.5%, 94.9%, 66.7%, and 93.8%, respectively, for HRCT versus 23.1%, 98.7%, 75%, and 88.6%, respectively, for PE/E. In 19 patients with true positive PET/HRCT findings, a significant change in the management of disease occurred, prompting either salvage or systemic therapy. Of the 14 curatively treated patients, 11 were alive with without disease at a median follow-up of 31.5 months. Conclusion. FDG-PET/HRCT has a high sensitivity in the early detection of relapse or second primary cancer in patients with HNSCC, with significant management implications. Given improvements in therapy and changes in HNSCC biology, appropriate modifications in current post-therapy surveillance may be required to determine effective salvage or definitive therapies. The Oncologist 2013;18:1108 -1117 Implications for Practice: The role of PET/CT in the post-therapy surveillance of head and neck cancer is not defined by prospective studies, but cumulative retrospective data support the use of FDG-PET/CT in this setting. By corroborating prior results, we believe that we have an important message for physicians and health insurance carriers, that after completion of primary definitive treatment, surveillance PET/CT detects relapse earlier than both diagnostic CT and NCCN-recommended conventional methods. Although retrospectively, we report a significant change in disease management after PET/CT results suggested a survival benefit compared with reported historical data. We found that most patients had recurrence in the first 2 years after completion of therapy, and PET/CT detected most recurrences within the first 6-month period. Our findings corroborate those of other authors, and therefore, there is merit to recommending a post-therapy scan 3-4 months after completion of therapy, followed by another scan within the first year and scanning every 6 months ...

The use of external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is debated because of a lack of prospective clinical data, but recent retrospective studies have reported benefits in selected patients. The Endocrine Surgery Committee of the American Head and Neck Society provides 4 recommendations regarding EBRT for locoregional control in DTC, based on review of literature and expert opinion of the authors. (1) EBRT is recommended for patients with gross residual or unresectable locoregional disease, except for patients <45 years old with limited gross disease that is radioactive iodine (RAI)-avid. (2) EBRT should not be routinely used as adjuvant therapy after complete resection of gross disease. (3) After complete resection, EBRT may be considered in select patients >45 years old with high likelihood of microscopic residual disease and low likelihood of responding to RAI. (4) Cervical lymph node involvement alone should not be an indication for adjuvant EBRT.

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The combined use of fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and contrast material-enhanced computed tomography (CT) for posttreatment monitoring of cancers of the oral cavity and oropharynx has steadily increased in recent years. FDG PET/CT offers many advantages for evaluating the effects of therapy, determining whether residual or recurrent disease is present, and assessing the extent of nodal disease. Because of the high negative predictive value of this imaging test, some have advocated the deferral of neck dissection in patients with negative findings at FDG PET/CT after chemotherapy and radiation therapy; positive findings may have a similarly heavy influence on the future course of treatment. Thus, the accuracy of image interpretation is crucial. However, the interpretation of posttreatment FDG PET images is challenging, with multiple potential pitfalls and limitations that could lead to an incorrect analysis. Accuracy depends on a detailed knowledge of the patient's treatment history and a thorough understanding of the kinds of changes that might result from treatment. Awareness of the principles underlying the selection of the optimal interval between the completion of treatment and the first follow-up FDG PET/CT examination is especially important, since an interval that is too short could lead to false-positive or false-negative findings. A period of 12 weeks or more is generally recommended, but the optimal waiting period depends on the extent of therapy and other factors. If recurrence or progression is suspected during the waiting period, contrast-enhanced CT or magnetic resonance imaging should be performed without FDG PET.

There is increasing demand for surgical procedures which avoid visible scars while maintaining optimal functional and ideal cosmetic results, without compromising the safety or effectiveness of the procedure. Endoscopic techniques have been adapted to abdominal and pelvic surgery and increasingly employed over the past three decades. Although hampered by the absence of a natural cavity, endoscopic techniques have been adapted to surgery in the neck for the past 15 years, particularly for the thyroid gland. While earlier attempts at endoscopic thyroid surgery were performed through incisions in or near the midline of the neck, recent techniques have been developed to place the incisions and endoscopic ports extracervically, or at least away from the midline region of the neck, rendering the cosmetic result more acceptable. Most of these approaches are through the axilla, breast, chest wall or a combination of approaches. Visualization of the thyroid and rate of complications with these approaches are equal to those attained with older endoscopic approaches. Careful patient selection is important for endoscopic surgery. Complications unique to the endoscopic approach are mostly related to insufflation of cervical tissues with pressurized CO(2).