Volumetric comparison of gross tumor volume between PET-CT fused and CT based simulation in head and neck radiotherapy planning

Key Points

• The aim is to evaluate differences in gross tumor volume identification between PET-CT and CT imaging in head and neck cancer treatment planning.
• Conducted volumetric analysis of tumor volumes identified by PET-CT fusion and CT alone.
• Focused on locally advanced head and neck cancers.
• Compared the accuracy of tumor delineation between the two imaging modalities.
• PET-CT fusion identified consistently larger gross tumor volumes than CT alone.
• CT-based imaging systematically underestimated the size of tumors.
• Findings highlight the importance of accurate imaging for effective radiotherapy.