Description
The provider needs to be knowledgeable of the important anatomical, physiological, and pathological characteristics associated with the airway in order to manage the airway effectively. The many tools and techniques that have been created for this aim should also be known to them. It's also critical to understand the benefits, risks, and drawbacks of endotracheal intubation. Understanding how to evaluate the confirmation of appropriate endotracheal tube placement is crucial. Furthermore, it is crucial to understand the distinctions between the adult, pediatrics, and neonatal airways as well as difficult airways as these might have a big impact on safe and effective airway control.
Summary Listen
- PET CT is a fusion imaging technique combining biological and anatomical information. CT provides morphological details, while PET offers metabolic imaging. This combination enhances diagnostic accuracy compared to individual scans. In head and neck cancer, PET CT aids in detecting unknown primaries, TNM staging, detecting synchronous primaries, assessing therapy response, detecting recurrence, and radiotherapy planning.
- For unknown primary cases, PET CT can identify the primary site in approximately 30% of patients presenting with neck masses, guiding biopsy sites. It is particularly useful when physical examinations, endoscopy, and MRI are inconclusive, facilitating targeted panendoscopy and frozen section biopsy. Its ability to cover the entire body in a single study gives it an advantage over CT and MRI, which are limited to specific regions.
- In T staging, PET CT has limitations with small submucosal lesions, perineural spread, or physiological uptake. For N staging, PET CT aids in detecting ipsilateral and contralateral nodal metastasis, critical for prognosis, as nodal involvement significantly reduces survival rates. PET CT's sensitivity and specificity in detecting cervical lymph node metastasis surpass those of CT or MRI alone.
- PET CT also detects distant metastasis (M staging) in about 25% of patients, commonly found in the lungs, mediastinal nodes, bone, and liver. Unlike CT or MRI which primarily detects lytic or sclerotic changes, PET CT identifies malignancy through metabolic activity, even in early stages. This detection is crucial for modifying treatment strategies, shifting from localized to systemic approaches.
- Furthermore, PET CT is valuable for identifying synchronous primary cancers, particularly relevant in head and neck cancer patients with risk factors like drug abuse. Detection of additional disease sites and accurate patient classification into curative or palliative care categories are key benefits. Its role in radiotherapy planning includes reducing inter-observer variability in Gross Tumor Volume and increasing gross tumor volume.
- PET CT is useful for assessing response to treatment after chemotherapy or radiotherapy, as it provides insight into whether the therapy has been effective. PET CT is recommended four to six weeks after chemotherapy or twelve to sixteen weeks after radiotherapy and has a high negative predictive value for treatment success. Clinical assessment post-therapy should be complemented by PET CT if a complete response is not observed.
- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines advocate PET CT for initial staging in oral cavity, oropharynx, and hypopharynx cancers. It's considered for Stage III and IV disease and mucosal melanoma. Additionally, it is essential for post-treatment evaluation in head and neck cancers, guiding the decision on neck dissection for residual disease.
Sample Certificate
About the Speakers
Comments
Comments
You must be logged in to leave a comment.