# A PET/CT scanner for guiding treatment of head and neck cancer

> **NIH NIH R01** · WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $489,913

## Abstract

ABSTRACT/SUMMARY
Head and neck carcinomas (HNC) are some of the most challenging cancers to effectively treat (five-year
survival rates for some HNCs are as low as 25%); recurrence rates range from 8% to 43%. The number of
new cases is rising due to the current, near epidemic of HPV-associated HNCs. Unfortunately, most treatments
are associated with significant morbidity due to damage of sensitive structures in the region (spinal cord,
salivary glands, parotid gland, esophagus, carotid arteries and thyroid gland). HNCs are treated with surgical
excision, radiation therapy, or a combination of methods. Selection of therapy is based upon assessment of
tumor location, size, proximity to bone, amount of infiltration into surrounding tissues and spread to regional
lymph nodes performed with advanced imaging methods. Perhaps the most promising of these methods is
metabolic-based imaging, specifically PET, often utilizing FDG. The non-optimal spatial resolution and fixed
geometry of whole body scanners, however, limits PET in fulfilling its promise in this role by inhibiting the ability
to accurately detect small tumor masses in lymph nodes, and in quantifying the size and nature of the primary
tumor. Thus, there is an unmet need for improved PET/CT scanner technology to enhance treatment planning
of HNCs. To address this opportunity, we propose the creation and testing of a lower-cost, flexible geometry,
high-resolution PET/CT system (approaching the spatial resolution of pre-clinical PET scanners), called
HNPET/CT, designed specifically for the imaging of the head and neck region. It will consist of a novel pair of
large area, immersion-cooled, PET detectors and a cone beam CT (CBCT) scanner mounted on a rotating
gantry whose geometry can be tailored to patient size and anatomy to be scanned. To capitalize on
HNPET/CT’s high-resolution images, an image segmentation method that utilizes both CBCT and PET images
will be developed and tested. We plan to explore the potential utility of HNPET/CT for enhancing therapy
planning (surgical and radiation). This assessment will first be performed with anthropomorphic phantoms and
then in a limited human trial. In addition to the novel detector design and adjustable geometry, HNPET/CT will
introduce a new capability to the treatment planning of HNCs not yet broadly employed by end users in the
clinical. It could enhance current planning techniques (reduce treatment margin size, for example), enable the
effective application of advanced methods (dose painting, for example), and perhaps inspire development of
new, more effective personalized treatment strategies that require high resolution, multi-modality imaging. The
lower cost of the system promises the introduction of cutting-edge, image-guided treatments to under-served
populations in areas treated by small or private clinics that often cannot afford such technology. This project
will be performed by a multi-disciplinary academic industrial partnership joinin...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9946787
- **Project number:** 1R01CA248492-01
- **Recipient organization:** WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** RAYMOND ROBERT RAYLMAN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $489,913
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-08 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9946787

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9946787, A PET/CT scanner for guiding treatment of head and neck cancer (1R01CA248492-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9946787. Licensed CC0.

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