Biological response of nasopharyngeal carcinoma to radiation therapy: a pilot study using serial 18F-FDG PET/CT scans.

We used serial (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) to evaluate tumors' maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) before, during, and after radiotherapy to explore the biological behavior of and response to radiation therapy in various subtypes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Sixty-one patients with pathologically diagnosed NPC were prospectively enrolled into the study. WHO type II(B) disease had a higher initial SUV(max) and more significant biological response at the primary site as compared with type II(A) subtype. The two subtypes of WHO type II NPC may significantly differ in their biological behavior and response to radiotherapy.