BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Loss of salivary gland function is a distressing side-effect of radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. The aim of this study was to develop a positron emission tomography (PET) method for measuring regional salivary gland function in the major salivary glands irradiated during RT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight head and neck cancer patients were included; two were examined before RT and six after parotid sparing RT. Patients were examined by dynamic 11C-methionine PET of the major salivary glands and parotid gland salivary flow measurements. PET data were analysed using a kinetic model of salivary gland 11C-methionine metabolism, in which salivary gland function was quantified by the net metabolic clearance of 11C-methionine, K. Functional voxel-wise images of K were calculated and matched with the CT-dose-plan for comparing regional salivary gland function with the regional radiation dose. RESULTS: Parotid gland K correlated positively with parotid gland salivary flow, indicating that K can be used as an index of salivary gland function. K of parotid and submandibular glands was reduced dependent on the median radiation dose. In one patient, receiving a heterogeneous radiation dose to the parotid glands, regional salivary gland function was inversely correlated to the regional radiation dose. CONCLUSIONS: Salivary gland function can be measured by dynamic 11C-methionine PET. The net metabolic clearance of 11C-methionine of salivary glands was reduced dependent on the radiation dose. Dynamic 11C-methionine PET offers a method for studying the individual response of the major salivary glands to irradiation.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Loss of salivary gland function is a distressing side-effect of radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. The aim of this study was to develop a positron emission tomography (PET) method for measuring regional salivary gland function in the major salivary glands irradiated during RT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight head and neck cancerpatients were included; two were examined before RT and six after parotid sparing RT. Patients were examined by dynamic 11C-methionine PET of the major salivary glands and parotid gland salivary flow measurements. PET data were analysed using a kinetic model of salivary gland 11C-methionine metabolism, in which salivary gland function was quantified by the net metabolic clearance of 11C-methionine, K. Functional voxel-wise images of K were calculated and matched with the CT-dose-plan for comparing regional salivary gland function with the regional radiation dose. RESULTS: Parotid gland K correlated positively with parotid gland salivary flow, indicating that K can be used as an index of salivary gland function. K of parotid and submandibular glands was reduced dependent on the median radiation dose. In one patient, receiving a heterogeneous radiation dose to the parotid glands, regional salivary gland function was inversely correlated to the regional radiation dose. CONCLUSIONS: Salivary gland function can be measured by dynamic 11C-methionine PET. The net metabolic clearance of 11C-methionine of salivary glands was reduced dependent on the radiation dose. Dynamic 11C-methionine PET offers a method for studying the individual response of the major salivary glands to irradiation.
Authors: Robert Jeraj; Yue Cao; Randall K Ten Haken; Carol Hahn; Lawrence Marks Journal: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys Date: 2010-03-01 Impact factor: 7.038
Authors: Pia Afzelius; Aage Ko Alstrup; Henrik C Schønheyder; Per Borghammer; Svend B Jensen; Dirk Bender; Ole L Nielsen Journal: Am J Nucl Med Mol Imaging Date: 2016-11-30
Authors: Hesham Elhalawani; Carlos E Cardenas; Stefania Volpe; Souptik Barua; Sonja Stieb; Calvin B Rock; Timothy Lin; Pei Yang; Haijun Wu; Jhankruti Zaveri; Baher Elgohari; Lamiaa E Abdallah; Amit Jethanandani; Abdallah S R Mohamed; Laurence E Court; Katherine A Hutcheson; G Brandon Gunn; David I Rosenthal; Steven J Frank; Adam S Garden; Arvind Rao; Clifton D Fuller Journal: Clin Transl Radiat Oncol Date: 2021-06-06