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Background. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of positron emission tomography‐ (PET) 2‐[¹⁸F]‐fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose (FDG) imaging in extra‐cranial head and neck cancers.

Methods. Sixty patients with biopsy‐proven cancers were studied using PET‐FDG. Thirty‐four patients were studied before therapy (staging), of which 15 patients received primary radiotherapy and serial PET‐FDG imaging (monitoring). Seven patients with advanced disease had laser excision (monitoring), and 19 patients were evaluated for recurrent disease (recurrence).

Results. Four patients had unknown primary lesions. PET‐FDG imaging located the primary tumor in two of four patients, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in none of four. In the remaining patients (staging), PET‐FDG imaging detected the primary tumor in 29 of 30 patients, and MRI in 23 of 30. In the staging group, PET‐FDG imaging identified …