Scan can tell if chemotherapy is effective after one round of treatment

Using a combined PET and CT scan may improve decisions on head and neck cancer treatment, researchers in England say

Head and neck cancers are notoriously difficult to treat, but researchers say a new scanning technique could help determine whether chemotherapy is effective after just one round of treatment.

Combined PET and CT scans accurately measure a tumor’s energy use and ability to convert glucose to energy, offering doctors a faster method of measuring treatment response for head and neck cancers, researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research report in a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Read more.