Preoperative combined 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography imaging in head and neck cancer: does it really improve initial N staging?

Abstract

In all, 105 levels had pathologically diagnosed metastases: PET-CT was positive in 87 levels and negative in 18 levels. Also, 399 levels had negative postoperative histology findings: PET-CT was positive in 24 levels and negative in 375 levels. The false-positive over-staged and the false-negative under-staged rates were 27% and 12%, respectively.