Artificial Intelligence in Head and Neck Cancer Radiotherapy and Imaging

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 1259

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Oncology, General University Hospital of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
Interests: oncology; head and neck cancer; lung cancer; breast cancer

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Guest Editor
Department of Radiotherapy/Oncology, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Interests: oncology; head and neck cancer; lung cancer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing head and neck cancer (HNC) care by providing innovative tools that enhance diagnostic accuracy and personalize treatment strategies. Early diagnosis of HNC, stage and pathological features are vital for guiding management selection and enhancing survival outcomes among patients with HNC. Generally, stages I-II cancer typically comprise a small primary tumor with nodal dissemination, but stages III-IV may involve larger tumors infiltrating surrounding structures or regional nodes.

The scope of this Special Issue is to gather and present novel data regarding the impact of medical imaging in target volume delineation in Radiotherpay (RT) planning and comprehensive therapeutic management of HNC patients. The focus of the Special Issue is on the advancements in AI technologies, including deep learning and natural language processing, and their applications in HNC. We welcome original articles on basic, pre-clinical, clinical, and translational research.

Dr. Elias Liolis
Dr. Admir Mulita
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • head and neck cancer
  • treatment planning
  • radiotherapy
  • oral cavity cancer
  • PET-CT imaging

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 5283 KB  
Article
18F-FDG PET-CT- vs. CT-Based Radiotherapy Treatment Planning for Head and Neck Cancer
by Admir Mulita, Eleni Bekou, Pipitsa Valsamaki, Ioannis M. Koukourakis, Francesk Mulita, Elias Liolis, Athanasios Zissimopoulos, Alexandra Giatromanolaki and Michael I. Koukourakis
Life 2026, 16(2), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/life16020263 - 3 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 979
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Precise staging and tumor delineation are essential for optimizing treatment and enhancing outcomes of radiotherapy (RT). While computed tomography (CT)-based RT remains standard, fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) offers improved detection of primary and nodal disease. This study investigates the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Precise staging and tumor delineation are essential for optimizing treatment and enhancing outcomes of radiotherapy (RT). While computed tomography (CT)-based RT remains standard, fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) offers improved detection of primary and nodal disease. This study investigates the role of PET/CT in RT planning of HNSCC. Methods: Fifty-one HNSCC patients underwent radical volumetric modulated arc RT with concurrent cisplatin chemotherapy in a prospective study. Two RT plans per patient were sequentially created by a single oncologist using CT-only and PET/CT data, respectively. Planning target volumes (PTVs) for primary and nodal regions were independently defined, and dose–volume histograms were analyzed and compared. Results: PET/CT significantly affected TNM staging, increasing the T-stage in 11.8% of patients and the N-stage in 33.3%. Distant metastases were found in 9.8% of patients, leading to a redefinition of the overall treatment policy. PET/CT-based planning improved primary tumor PTV coverage (PTV4) in 37.2% (19/51) of cases. The tumor areas excluded from the CT-based planning received an average of 85.6% of the prescribed PTV4 dose (range 18–93%), while in PET/CT planning, they received 95.4% (range 93–99%) (p < 0.0001). Nodal PTV areas requiring a booster dose (PTV2) were adjusted in 33.3% (17/51) of patients during PET-CT planning. These nodal areas received an average of 85.6% of the prescribed dose for PTV2 (range 18–93%) during CT planning, compared to 95.4% (range 93–99%) during PET/CT planning. There was no statistically significant difference in the dose received by organs at risk between CT- and PET/CT-RT planning. Conclusions: PET/CT improves target delineation for primary tumors and lymph nodes, also allowing for dose escalation in metabolically highly active lesions in patients with HNSCC. The method also reveals occult distant metastases in a subset of patients, enabling personalized treatment strategies. Full article
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