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Biologically individualized radiotherapy based on PET: A novel approach to treatment optimization of head and neck cancer
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics. Karolinska Institute, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6676-508X
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics. Karolinska Institute, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1099-733X
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2026 (English)In: Journal of Nuclear Medicine, ISSN 0161-5505, E-ISSN 1535-5667, Vol. 67, no 3, p. 374-382Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Current radiotherapy for malignant tumors often adopts a “one-size-fits-all” approach, prescribing the same irradiation dose for patients with similar clinical indications. However, advancements in functional imaging allow for biologically individualized strategies, with dose distribution tailored to the specific tumor biology. This study proposes a novel approach to biologically individualized radiotherapy, exploiting the synergistic combination of the tumor clonogenic cell information from [18F]FDG PET images and radiosensitivity from [18F]fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) PET images. Methods: Twenty-eight patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) were analyzed. Using imaging biomarkers, individualized tumor profiles were obtained from oxygen partial pressure and clonogenic cell density maps derived from [18F]FMISO and [18F]FDG PET, respectively. Dose-escalated radiotherapy plans aiming at 95% tumor control probability (TCP) were generated using automated planning. Plans were assessed for clinical feasibility and expected TCP. Results: Planned dose distributions achieved greater than 90% TCP in all cases. All treatment plans met standard clinical feasibility criteria for the main organs-at-risk constraints, except for the few cases with significant target overlap, demonstrating the overall feasibility of the personalized strategy. Conclusion: The proposed biologically individualized treatment strategy demonstrated feasibility and clinical applicability. Combining [18F]FDG and [18F]FMISO PET imaging potentially shifts the success rate of HNSCC treatment from approximately 60% at 5 y, as reported in the literature, to a projected TCP of 90%. This treatment strategy holds promise for improving patient outcomes through more precise and effective treatment.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026. Vol. 67, no 3, p. 374-382
Keywords [en]
dual-tracer PET, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, biologically individualized radiotherapy, tumor hypoxia, clonogenic cell density
National Category
Cancer and Oncology Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-250750DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.125.270403PubMedID: 41469160Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105031792586OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-250750DiVA, id: diva2:2024770
Available from: 2025-12-30 Created: 2025-12-30 Last updated: 2026-03-20Bibliographically approved

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Lazzeroni, MartaUreba, AnaToma-Dasu, Iuliana

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