Volumetric PET/CT parameters predict local response of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to chemoradiotherapy

Usefulness of pre- and post-treatment volumetric PET/CT parameters in predicting prognosis and evaluating recurrence for chemoradiotherapy-treated hypopharyngeal cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the usefulness of pre- and post-treatment metabolic tumor volume (MTV) obtained from positron emission tomography (PET) in predicting prognosis and evaluating recurrence in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-three consecutive HPC patients treated with chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) and MTV of tumor (T) and lymph node (N) were analyzed.

RESULTS

On multivariate analysis using pre-treatment parameters, MTV-T (p = 0.049) and MTV-TN (p = 0.043) were significantly associated with local control (LC), and MTV-N (p = 0.049) was significantly associated with disease-specific survival (DSS). Post-treatment MTV-TN was also significantly associated with prognosis (p < 0.001 in LC; p = 0.002 in DSS) and recurrence (area under curve 0.95). Neither pre- nor post-treatment SUVmax was significantly associated with prognosis.

CONCLUSION

Pre- and post-treatment MTV appears useful for predicting prognosis and evaluating recurrence.

Oncological Outcomes of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy and Surgical Treatment for Patients With T3 Hypopharyngeal Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis

Background Since the larynx and pharynx are vital for respiration, swallowing, and speech, chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has been widely applied for T3 hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) as an organ-preserving treatment. However, CRT can lead to severe late adverse events such as dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia, especially in patients who have difficulty swallowing and/or aspiration at the time of initial diagnosis. Patients and methods Between 2012 and 2020, 86 patients with T3 HPC treated with curative intent at Kobe University Hospital were included in this study. The average age was 69 years old, ranging from 43 to 89. Diseases were classified as Stage III in 29 patients, Stage IVA in 52 patients, and Stage IVB in five patients. Thirty-five (41%) patients were treated by CRT, and 51 (59%) patients were treated by surgery. Patients were followed up for at least two years, and the follow-up period ranged from four to 128 months (median: 45 months). Results Three-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates of patients treated by CRT and patients treated by surgery were 56.2% and 60.3%, respectively. Three-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rates of patients treated by CRT and surgically treated patients were 79.0% vs. 70.8%, respectively. Three-year overall survival (OS) rates of patients treated by CRT and surgically treated patients were 64.5% and 69.0%, respectively. Of note, a significant difference was observed between three-year DSS and three-year PFS (79.0% vs. 56.2%, p = 0.0014) in the patients treated by CRT but not in the patients treated by surgery. Conclusions No significant differences were observed between the PFS, DSS, and OS rates of patients treated by CRT and those of surgically treated patients. Locoregional recurrences after CRT were significantly successfully salvaged by surgical intervention. These results suggest that CRT can be applied as an alternative to surgery without reducing survival, especially for patients without severe clinical symptoms. Meticulous follow-up is mandatory for early detection of recurrence to salvage by surgery and for the management of late adverse events.

Predictive value of local control by 4'-[methyl-11C]-thiotymidine PET volume parameters in p16-negative oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

We investigated the potential of baseline 4'-[methyl- 11 C]-thiothymidine ([ 11 C]4DST) PET for predicting loco-regional control of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed using volumetric parameters, such as SUVmax, proliferative tumor volume (PTV), and total lesion proliferation (TLP), of pretreatment [ 11 C]4DST PET for 91 patients with HNSCC with primary lesions in the oral cavity, hypopharynx, supraglottis, and oropharynx, which included p16-negative patients. PTV and TLP were calculated for primary lesions and metastatic lymph nodes combined. We examined the association among the parameters and relapse-free survival and whether case selection focused on biological characteristics improved the accuracy of prognosis prediction.

RESULTS

The area under the curves (AUCs) using PTV and TLP were high for the oropharyngeal/hypopharyngeal/supraglottis groups (0.91 and 0.87, respectively), whereas that of SUVmax was 0.66 ( P  < 0.01). On the other hand, the oral group had lower AUCs for PTV and TLP (0.72 and 0.77, respectively). When all cases were examined, the AUCs using PTV and TLP were 0.84 and 0.83, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Baseline [ 11 C]4DST PET/CT volume-based parameters can provide important prognostic information with p16-negative oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and supraglottic cancer patients.

Association of circulating tumor HPV16DNA levels and quantitative PET parameters in patients with HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), which circulates in the blood after being shed from cancer cells in the body, has recently gained attention as an excellent tumor marker. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether ct human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 DNA (ctHPV16DNA) levels were associated with quantitative PET parameters in patients with HPV-positive head and neck (HN) squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Fifty patients with oropharyngeal SCC (OPSCC) and 5 with SCC of unknown primary (SCCUP) before treatment were included. They all underwent blood sampling to test ctHPV16DNA levels and FDG PET-CT examinations. Quantitative PET parameters included SUVmax, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), MTV of whole-body lesions (wbMTV), and 56 texture features. ctHPV16DNA levels were compared to texture features of primary tumors in OPSCC patients (Group A) or the largest primary or metastatic lymph node lesions in OPSCC and SCCUP patients (Group B) and to other PET parameters. Spearman rank correlation test and multiple regression analysis were used to confirm the associations between ctHPV16DNA levels and PET parameters. ctHPV16DNA levels moderately correlated with wbMTV, but not with SUVmax or MTV in Groups A and B. ctHPV16DNA levels exhibited a weak negative correlation with low gray-level zone emphasis in Groups A and B. Multiple regression analysis revealed that wbMTV and high gray-level zone emphasis were the significant factors for ctHPV16DNA levels in Group B. These results were not observed in Group A. This study demonstrated that ctHPV16DNA levels correlated with the whole-body tumor burden and tumor heterogeneity visualized on FDG PET-CT in patients with HPV-positive HNSCC.

Volumetric Evaluation of Staging 18F-FDG PET/CT Images in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the metastatic potential of primary tumor and survival in esophageal cancer (EC) patients by using metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) from the staging 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) images. Another aim is to determine a tumor volume-based cut-off value to predict long-term survival.

Methods

Medical records of EC patients were retrospectively evaluated. Sixty-two patients with staging 18F-FDG PET/CT and at least five years of follow-up were included in the study. The region of interest to the primary tumor and all metastatic sites was created and MTV and TLG values of the primary tumor (MTVp, TLGp) and total tumor volume (MTVt and TLGt) values were obtained. The relationship between the obtained MTV and TLG values and short-time (one-year) and long time (five-year) survival was investigated.

Results

Significant factors on survival were determined as lymph node or distant metastasis (p=0.024, 0.008, respectively) at the staging PET/CT. A significant relationship between volumetric parameters of the primary tumor and total tumor burden (MTVp, TLGp, MTVwb and TLGwb) between survivors and non-survivors for one-year and five-year was detected. In receiver operating characteristics analysis, the most significant volumetric parameter was MTVwb, with area under curve 0.771 in estimated five-year survival. The best cut-off value was detected as 36.1 mL with 78% sensitivity and 75% specificity for MTVwb in determining long-term survivors.

Conclusion

Tumor burden in 18F-FDG PET/CT images at the time of staging of patients with EC will contribute to the prediction of long-term survivors.

The role of volumetric and textural analysis of pretreatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computerized tomography images in predicting complete response to transarterial radioembolization in hepatocellular cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluates the role of pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT in predicting the response to treatment in patients with hepatocellular cancer (HCC) who applied transarterial radioembolization (TARE) via the volumetric and texture features extracted from 18F-FDG PET/CT images.

METHODS

Thirty-three patients with HCC who had applied TARE [lobar (LT) or superselective (ST)] after 18F-FDG PET/CT were included in the study. Response to the treatment was evaluated from posttherapy magnetic resonance (MR). Patients were divided into two groups: the responder group (RG) (complete responders) and non-RG (NRG) (including partial response, stabile, and progressive). Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and texture features were extracted from PET/CT images. The differences among MTV, TLG, and texture features between response groups were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test. ROC analysis was performed for features with P < 0.05. Spearman correlation analysis was used, and features with correlation coefficient < 0.8 were evaluated with the logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Significant differences were detected in TLG, MTV, SHAPE_compacity, GLCM_correlation, GLRLM_GLNU, GLRLM_RLNU, NGLDM_coarseness, NGLDM_busyness, GLZLM_LZHGE, GLZLM_GLNU, and GLZLM_ZLNU between RG and NRG. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that MTV was the only meaningful parameter with an AUC of 0.827 (P = 0.002; 95% CI, 0.688-0.966). The best cutoff value was determined as 74.11 ml with 78.9% sensitivity and 78.6% specificity in discriminating nonresponders.

CONCLUSION

In predicting the curative effect of TARE, multivariate analysis results demonstrated that MTV was the only independent predictor, and MTV higher than 74.11 ml were determined the best predictor of nonresponders.

Differential diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in pulmonary carcinoids versus hamartomas

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE

To assess the possibility of differentiating pulmonary carcinoids from hamartomas and typical from atypical carcinoids by means of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 139 patients with pathologically proven pulmonary carcinoids and hamartomas who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT before surgical resection. Receiver operating characteristics curves were calculated to determine the potential of SUVmax to discriminate between pulmonary carcinoids and hamartomas, typical and atypical carcinoids. The correlation between SUVmax and tumor size was analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis.

RESULTS

SUVmax was significantly higher in pulmonary carcinoids than in hamartomas (p<0.001), and also higher in atypical carcinoids than in typical carcinoids (p = 0.034). With a SUVmax of 2.0 as a cutoff, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT to differentiate pulmonary carcinoids from hamartomas were 85.3%, 82.9%, 61.7%, and 94.6%, respectively. The cutoff value of SUVmax for differentiating atypical carcinoids from typical carcinoids was 4.1. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of SUVmax was 0.900 for carcinoids and hamartomas, and 0.722 for typical and atypical carcinoids. SUVmax was correlated with maximum tumor size in pulmonary carcinoids (r = 0.658, p <0.001) and in pulmonary hamartomas (r = 0.672, p <0.001).

CONCLUSION

¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT might be a useful tool in the differential diagnosis of carcinoids and hamartomas, and can also distinguish atypical from typical carcinoids. This may facilitate improved selection of patients for surgical resection and radiological follow-up.

PET Imaging and Rate of Pathologic Complete Response in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

For locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), chemoradiation (ChemoRT) followed by surgery offers the best chance of cure, with a 35-50% pathologic complete response (pCR) rate. Given the morbidity of esophagectomy and the possibility of pCR with ChemoRT, a 'watch and wait' strategy has been proposed, particularly for squamous cell carcinoma. The ability to accurately predict which patients will have pCR from ChemoRT is critical in treatment decision making. This study assessed positron emission tomography (PET) in predicting pCR after neoadjuvant ChemoRT for ESCC.

METHODS

ESCC patients treated with ChemoRT followed by surgery were identified. Maximum standard uptake value (SUV), metabolic tumor volume, total lesion glycolysis, and first-order textual features of standard deviation, kurtosis and skewness were measured from PET. Univariable and multivariable generalized linear method analyses were performed. A metabolic complete response (mCR) was defined as a post-therapy PET scan with maximum SUV < 4.0.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven patients underwent ChemoRT followed by surgery, with overall pCR seen in 11 (41%) patients and radiographic mCR seen in 12 (44%) patients. Final pathology for these 12 patients revealed pCR (ypT0N0M0) in 5 (42%) patients and persistent disease in 7 (58%) patients. Univariate analysis did not reveal PET parameters predictive of pCR.

CONCLUSION

Treatment of ESCC with ChemoRT often results in a robust clinical response. Among patients with an mCR after ChemoRT, disease persistence was found in 58%. The inability of PET to predict pCR is important in the context of a 'watch and wait' strategy for ESCC treated with ChemoRT.

Tumor Blood Flow Is a Predictor of Radiotherapy Response in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate tumor blood flow (TBF) as a predictor of radiotherapy response for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Materials and Method

A total of 134 patients were divided into two groups, the complete response (CR) group and the partial response (PR) group based on RECIST 1.1 recommendations. The statistical difference was evaluated for pre- and mid- or post-treatment TBF and changes of TBF for tumors and metastatic lymph nodes between CR and PR, respectively. The receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized to evaluate the accuracy of TBF in predicting the response of radiation therapy. The association between TBF and SUVmax was also investigated.

Results

The reduction of TBF in CR was significantly lower than that in PR for primary tumors (P <0.001) and metastatic lymph nodes (P <0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the reduction of TBF is an independent predictor of the response of radiation therapy for primary tumors (P <0.001) and metastatic lymph nodes (P <0.001). The accuracy of TBF reduction in predicting the response of radiation therapy was 0.817 in primary tumors and 0.924 in metastatic lymph nodes, respectively. No significant correlation was observed between the TBF values and SUVmax of primary tumors (r = -0.008, P = 0.954) and metastasis lymph nodes (r = -0.061, P = 0.652).

Conclusion

This study suggests that the reduction of TBF is a promising parameter for evaluating the response of radiation therapy.

Prognostic significance of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α expression in advanced pharyngeal cancer without human papillomavirus infection

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to clarify the association between both hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and glucose transporter type-1 expression and survival outcome in advanced pharyngeal cancer without human papillomavirus infection.

METHOD

Twenty-five oropharyngeal and 55 hypopharyngeal cancer patients without human papillomavirus infection were enrolled. All patients had stage III-IV lesions and underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy or surgery. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and glucose transporter type-1 expression were investigated in primary lesions by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

There were 41 and 39 cases with low and high hypoxia-inducible factor-1α expression, and 28 and 52 cases with low and high glucose transporter type-1 expression, respectively. There was no significant correlation between hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and glucose transporter type-1 expression. In univariate analysis, nodal metastasis, clinical stage and high hypoxia-inducible factor-1α expression, but not glucose transporter type-1 expression, predicted significantly worse prognosis. In multivariate analysis, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α overexpression was significantly correlated with poor overall survival, disease-specific survival and recurrence-free survival.

CONCLUSION

High hypoxia-inducible factor-1α expression was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis for advanced human papillomavirus-unrelated pharyngeal cancer.

Prognostic value of tumor metabolic imaging phenotype by FDG PET radiomics in HNSCC

OBJECTIVE

Tumor metabolic phenotype can be assessed with integrated image pattern analysis of 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT), called radiomics. This study was performed to assess the prognostic value of radiomics PET parameters in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients.

METHODS

18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) PET/CT data of 215 patients from HNSCC collection free database in The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA), and 122 patients in Seoul St. Mary's Hospital with baseline FDG PET/CT for locally advanced HNSCC were reviewed. Data from TCIA database were used as a training cohort, and data from Seoul St. Mary's Hospital as a validation cohort. With the training cohort, primary tumors were segmented by Nestles' adaptive thresholding method. Segmental tumors in PET images were preprocessed using relative resampling of 64 bins. Forty-two PET parameters, including conventional parameters and texture parameters, were measured. Binary groups of homogeneous imaging phenotypes, clustered by K-means method, were compared for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) by log-rank test. Selected individual radiomics parameters were tested along with clinical factors, including age and sex, by Cox-regression test for OS and DFS, and the significant parameters were tested with multivariate analysis. Significant parameters on multivariate analysis were again tested with multivariate analysis in the validation cohort.

RESULTS

A total of 119 patients, 70 from training, and 49 from validation cohort, were included in the study. The median follow-up period was 62 and 52 months for the training and the validation cohort, respectively. In the training cohort. binary groups with different metabolic radiomics phenotypes showed significant difference in OS (p = 0.036), and borderline difference in DFS (p = 0.086). Gray-Level Non-Uniformity for zone (GLNUGLZLM) was the most significant prognostic factor for both OS (hazard ratio [HR] 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-7.3, p = 0.008) and DFS (HR 4.5, CI 1.3-16, p = 0.020). Multivariate analysis revealed GLNUGLZLM as an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR 3.7, 95% CI 1.1-7.5, p = 0.032). GLNUGLZLM remained as an independent prognostic factor in the validation cohort (HR 14.8. 95% CI 3.3-66, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline FDG PET radiomics contain risk information for survival prognosis in HNSCC patients. The metabolic heterogeneity parameter, GLNUGLZLM, may assist clinicians in patient risk assessment as a feasible prognostic factor.

Prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/MRI in patients with advanced oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of combined positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters provided by simultaneous 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/MRI in patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OHSCC).

METHODS

Forty-five patients with locally advanced OHSCC who underwent simultaneous FDG PET/MRI before (chemo)radiotherapy were retrospectively enrolled. Peak standardized uptake value (SULpeak), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of the primary lesion were obtained on PET data. On MRI scans, primary tumor size, diffusion and perfusion parameters were assessed using pre-contrast and high-resolution post-contrast images. Ratios between metabolic/metabolo-volumetric parameters and ADC were calculated. Comparisons between groups were performed by Student's t test. Survival analysis was performed by univariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Overall survival curves were obtained by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. Survivors were censored at the time of the last clinical control. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant RESULTS: During follow-up (mean 31.4 ± 21 months), there were 15 deaths. Univariate analysis shows that SULpeak and SULpeak/ADCmean were significant predictors of overall survival (OS). At multivariate analysis, only SULpeak remained a significant predictor of OS. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed that patients with higher SULpeak had poorer outcome compared to those with lower values (HR: 3.7, p = 0.007).

CONCLUSION

Pre-therapy SULpeak of the primary site was predictive of overall survival in patients with oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer treated with (chemo)radiotherapy.

Prediction of Response in Head and Neck Tumor: Focus on Main Hot Topics in Research

Radiation therapy is a cornerstone in the treatment of head and neck cancer patients; actually, their management is based on clinical and radiological staging with all patients at the same stage treated in the same way. Recently the increasing knowledge in molecular characterization of head and neck cancer opens the way for a more tailored treatment. Patient outcomes could be improved by a personalized radiotherapy beyond technological and anatomical precision. Several tumor markers are under evaluation to understand their possible prognostic or predictive value. In this paper we discuss those markers specific for evaluate response to radiation therapy in head and neck cancer for a shift toward a biological personalization of radiotherapy.

Value of 18F-FDG PET/computed tomography in predicting the simplified WHO grade of malignancy in thymic epithelial tumors

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) in predicting the simplified WHO grade of malignancy in thymic epithelial tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 81 patients with pathologically proven thymic epithelial tumors who underwent F-FDG PET/CT before surgical resection. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and SUVmax/tumor size were measured on the primary lesion. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve were performed for assessing the ability of F-FDG PET/CT as a predictor of the simplified WHO classification.

RESULTS

There were 43 male patients (53.1%) and 38 female patients (46.9%), and the mean age was 55.6 ± 11.9 years. The mean tumor size was 53.2 ± 21.4 mm. There were 24 low-risk thymomas (29.6%) (A, AB, and B1), 29 high-risk thymomas (35.8%) (B2 and B3), and 28 thymic carcinomas (34.6%). The SUVmax and SUVmax/tumor size were found to be predictive factors that were useful to distinguish thymomas and thymic carcinomas, and area under the ROC curve were 0.820 and 0.691, respectively (P < 0.05), and the cutoff value for discriminating thymomas and thymic carcinomas was 5.34.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, a significant relationship was observed between SUVmax, SUVmax/tumor size and histological WHO classification of thymic epithelial tumors. F-FDG PET/CT may be useful for predicting the grade of malignancy in thymic epithelial.

Metabolic Tumor Volume Change Predicts Long-term Survival and Histological Response to Preoperative Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer

OBJECTIVE

Here, we assess the ability of metabolic tumor volume (MTV) as measured by F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) to evaluate neoadjuvant chemotherapy response for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (EC).

BACKGROUND

Optimal methods to evaluate treatment response for EC patients have not yet been established. Although previous studies have reported the value of standardized uptake value (SUV), the accuracy of predicting histological response or long-term survival in EC is limited.

METHODS

In all, 102 EC patients without distant metastasis who underwent F-FDG PET/CT both before and after the preoperative chemotherapy series were analyzed.

RESULTS

The median primary tumor MTV values before and after preoperative chemotherapy were 22.55 (range 0.4-183.1) and 2.75 (0-52.9), respectively, and the median MVT reduction rate was 86.5%. We found the most significant difference in survival between PET responders and nonresponders with a cut-off value of 60% MTV reduction, using a 10% stepwise cut-off analysis [2-year progression-free survival (PFS): 79.2 vs 44.4%; hazard ratio (HR) 3.397; P < 0.0001). With this cut-off value, histological response (P = 0.0091), tumor location (P = 0.0102), pT (P = 0.0011), and pN (P = 0.0110) were significantly associated with PET response. Univariate analysis of PFS indicated a correlation between PFS and tumor size, cT, decrease of primary lesion by CT, SUVmax reduction rate, MTV reduction rate, pT, pN, and pM. Multivariate analysis further identified pM (HR 3.063; P = 0.0279) and MTV reduction rate (HR 2.471; P = 0.0263) to be independent prognostic predictors, but not decrease of primary lesion by CT or SUVmax reduction rate.

CONCLUSION

MTV change is clinically useful in predicting both long-term survival and histological response to preoperative chemotherapy in EC patients, after determining the optimal cut-off value based on survival analysis.

Metabolic tumor volume of metastatic lymph nodes and survival after total laryngectomy in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer

OBJECTIVES

The prognostic value of metabolic tumor volume (MTV) in locally advanced laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer is established in the setting of chemoradiotherapy, while it remains unknown in the setting of upfront total laryngectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 88 patients receiving total laryngectomy and neck dissection, using Cox regression models.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Variables related to metastatic lymph node were associated with overall survival, whereas those related to primary tumor were not. In multivariable models, MTV of metastatic lymph nodes (N-MTV) as a continuous variable (Akaike's information criterion (AIC), 277.5) was equivalent to pathological nodal status (AIC, 278.2; P = 0.40), and superior to pathological nodal classification as an ordinal variable (AIC, 281.4; P < 0.05) in ability of predicting death. The risk of death was increased by 1.2-fold (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0-1.4; P = 0.03) every 10-ml increment of N-MTV, while patients with pN+ disease were at a higher risk of death by 2.9-fold (95% CI, 1.0-12.2; P < 0.05) compared with patients with pN0 disease. Using recursive partitioning analysis (RPA), we classified the patients as having a low, intermediate, or high risk of death on the basis of N-MTV and extranodal extension (ENE). This RPA classification system exhibited greater concordance with overall survival than the classification considering pathological nodal status and ENE (AIC, 275.8 versus 281.4; P = 0.02). In the setting of upfront total laryngectomy, N-MTV is a critical predictor of mortality. A staging system in which N-MTV is incorporated may better inform adjuvant treatment decisions.

Prediction of survival with combining quantitative 18 F-FDG PET/CT and DW-MRI parameters in sinonasal malignancies

BACKGROUND

We aimed to establish the prognostic value of ¹⁸ F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission/CT (¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT) and diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI in determining overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) of sinonasal malignancies.

METHODS

Sixty-eight patients with sinonasal cancer who underwent both pretreatment ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT scan and head-neck MRI from January 2009 through August 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT and DW-MRI parameters were performed for OS, PFS, and DMFS.

RESULTS

Cox regression analysis determined that all the quantitative ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT and DW-MRI parameters were independently correlated with PFS, DMFS, and OS (P < .05). After controlling for imaging variables, perineural invasion (P = .02) and ill-defined margin (P = .02) were found to be significantly correlated with shorter OS; while the perineural invasion was significantly correlated with shorter PFS (P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

The pretreatment DW-MRI and ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT parameters could be substantial surrogate markers for sinonasal malignancies.

Organ Preservation Protocols in T4 Laryngeal Cancer: a Review of the Literature

Population-based studies indicate that chemoradiation has become the most popular treatment for advanced laryngeal cancers; however, by extrapolating trial results to the general population, several issues have emerged, such as reduced overall survival, non-functional laryngeal preservation, and poor response to treatment. Although included in these trials, T4 laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers with cartilage invasion formed a small percentage of these patients and questions over whether they were appropriately staged remain unanswered. Literature on the use of chemoradiation in this set of patients, including the challenges, treatment considerations, and factors predicting response to treatment and outcomes, was reviewed. Current evidence indicates that all patients of T4 laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer are not suitable candidates for organ preservation; this modality should be offered only to select patients with good performance status and access to rehabilitative care and regular follow-up in order to achieve good results.

Usefulness of Preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT for Patients with Thymic Epithelial Tumors

Background

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between preoperative FDG-PET parameters and the World Health Organization (WHO) classification or Masaoka staging system of thymic epithelial tumors.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 32 patients with histologically proven thymic epithelial tumors who underwent FDG-PET/CT before surgical resection. FDG-PET parameters, including the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolytic activity (TLG), were measured. These PET parameters were compared in the Masaoka staging system and WHO classification. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed to identify the cut-off values of PET parameters for the accurate differentiation of early and advanced stages in the Masaoka staging system.

Results

There were 17 low-risk thymomas (1 type A, 9 type AB, and 7 type B1), 8 high-risk thymomas (4 type B2 and 4 type B3), and 7 thymic carcinomas (7 squamous cell carcinoma). Their Masaoka stages were as follows: 24 in the early stage (stages I and II) and 8 in the advanced stage (stage III). Regarding the WHO classification, only SUVmax showed a significant difference (P < 0.05). In the Masaoka stage, all PET parameters were significantly higher in the advanced stage than in the early stage (P < 0.05). In the ROC analysis to predict the early and advanced stages in thymic epithelial tumors, the area under the curve was the highest for TLG among the PET parameters examined and the cut-off value of TLG for discriminating the early from advanced stage with maximal sensitivity and specificity was 30.735.

Conclusion

Although volumetric PET parameters, such as MTV and TLG, did not correlate with the WHO classification, a significant correlation was observed between SUVmax and the WHO classification. In the Masaoka staging system, volumetric PET parameters may achieve more precise staging than SUVmax.

Clinical T staging is superior to fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography for predicting local outcomes after intra-arterial infusion chemoradiotherapy for maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma

Concomitant intra-arterial infusion chemoradiotherapy (IA-CRT) has been used to treat locally advanced maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma (MSSCC) with positive outcomes. However, an optimal predictive prognostic factor for MSSCC treated with IA-CRT remains elusive. The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), including volumetric parameters, to predict the prognosis of MSSCC treated with IA-CRT. Twenty-four patients with newly diagnosed MSSCC receiving FDG-PET imaging before IA-CRT treatment were analyzed in this retrospective study. All patients underwent radiotherapy with a total tumor dose of 60–66 Gy in a conventional fractionation schedule, using three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy or intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Radiotherapy was performed concurrently with concurrent intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy (cisplatin). The IA-CRT response rate was 83.33%. The 1- and 3-year survival rates were 81.30% and 64.34%, respectively. The 1- and 3-year local failure-free rates were 57.21% and 40.96%, respectively. Local failure was significantly associated with poor survival (P = 0.0152). Further, clinical T staging clearly stratified local control outcomes among patients with clinical T3 or less, T4a, and T4b (P = 0.0312). Moreover, patients with stage T4b showed a significantly poorer local control compared with T3 or less (P = 0.0103). However, FDG-PET parameters provided no significant predictive information regarding treatment outcome. To conclude, pretreatment T stage predicts local control by IA-CRT, which is associated with survival.

Role of pretreatment fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography quantitative parameters in prognostication of head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma

In spite of the good organ preservation strategies available for locally advanced head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), failure rates have been reported to be as high as 35%–50%. There has been an increasing interest in predicting response to treatment, to aid early intervention and better outcomes. Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a standard modality for posttreatment evaluation; however, it is still underutilized as a pretreatment investigative modality. Several articles have described quantitative parameters in pretreatment FDG-PET to prognosticate patients and determine the likelihood of response to treatment; however, they are still not used commonly. This article was a review of the literature available on pretreatment FDG-PET quantitative parameters and their value in predicting failure. A thorough review of literature from MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed on pretreatment quantitative parameters in HNSCC. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were reliable parameters to predict response to organ preservation therapy, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Maximum SUV (SUVmax) was an inconsistent parameter. MTV and TLG may help predict poor response to organ preservation to initiate early surgical salvage or modify therapeutic decisions to optimize clinical outcomes. Routine use may provide additional information over SUVmax alone.

Prognostic value of metabolic tumor burden calculated using dual-time-point 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT in patients with oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer

BACKGROUND

This study investigates the prognostic value of metabolic tumor burden calculated using dual-time-point 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/CT in patients with locally advanced cancer.

METHODS

This study examines 42 patients (35 men and 7 women, 38-73 years old) with locally advanced oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer who had undergone FDG-PET/CT before receiving chemoradiotherapy. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUV_max ), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured for the early and delayed phases. Statistical analyses included receiver operating characteristic curve, univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

ΔSUV_max , both phases of MTV_2.5 and TLG_2.5 , early TLG_40% , ΔTLG_2.5 , and ΔTLG_40% were significantly associated with progression-free survival (PFS). In multivariate analysis, early TLG_2.5 (P = .005) was an independent prognostic factor of PFS.

CONCLUSION

Not the percent change but the value calculated in the early phase in several parameters using dual-time-point FDG-PET/CT is significantly associated with the outcomes of patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer.

Prognostic significance of pretreatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography evaluation using metabolic tumor volume of the primary tumor and lymph nodes in advanced hypopharyngeal cancer

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the usefulness of pretreatment positron emission tomography (PET) using metabolic tumor volume (MTV) of the primary tumor and lymph nodes in advanced hypopharyngeal cancer.

METHODS

From June 2007 to December 2015, consecutive patients with advanced hypopharyngeal cancer who underwent PET and were treated with definitive radiation therapy were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 61 patients were eligible for this study. On multivariate analysis, MTV of the primary tumor (MTV-T) was significantly related to the local control rate and overall survival (OS) (P = .036 and .012, respectively). In patients with lower MTV-T, MTV of metastatic lymph nodes (MTV-N) was significantly related to disease-specific survival and OS (P = .012 and .017, respectively).

CONCLUSION

MTV-T is a significant predictor in patients with advanced hypopharyngeal cancer, and MTV-N is also significant in patients with lower MTV-T.

Prognostic Value of Volume-Based Metabolic Parameters Obtained by 18F-FDG-PET/CT in Patients With Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Cervical Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic impact of volume-based metabolic F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (F-FDG-PET/CT) parameters in patients with stage IB-IVA squamous cell cervical carcinoma (SCCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We reviewed the pretreatment F-FDG-PET/CT records of 67 patients with stage IB-IVA SCCC. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the primary tumor (PSUVmax), highest SUVmax of the whole malignant lesions (WSUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) of the primary tumor (PMTV), MTV of the whole malignant lesion (WMTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of primary tumor (PTLG), and TLG of the whole malignant lesion (WTLG) were obtained. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the predictive values of metabolic parameters.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine patients showed disease progression and 21 patients died during follow-up. In univariate analysis, positive lymph node, WSUVmax of greater than 11, WMTV of greater than 63 cm, and WTLG of greater than 373 adversely affected the progression-free survival (P = 0.004, 0.045, 0.023, and 0.005, respectively). A positive lymph node, WSUVmax of greater than 12, WMTV of greater than 68 cm, and WTLG of greater than 373 significantly adversely affected overall survival (P = 0.002, 0.032, 0.015, and 0.006, respectively). In multivariate analysis, independent prognostic factor for progression-free survival was WTLG (relative risk = 2.384, 95% confidence interval = 1.095-5.187, P = 0.029). Independent prognostic factors for overall survival was WTLG (relative risk = 2.763; 95% confidence interval = 1.107-6.896, P = 0.029).

CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary results indicated that pretreatment WTLG measured by F-FDG-PET/CT could independently predict survival in patients with locally advanced SCCC.

Targeting metabolic pathways for head and neck cancers therapeutics

Cancer cells have distinctive energy metabolism pathways that support their rapid cell division. The preference for anaerobic glycolysis under the normal oxygen condition is known as the Warburg effect and has been observed in head and neck cancers. These metabolic changes are controlled by cancer-related transcription factors, such as tumor suppressor gene and hypoxia inducible factor 1α. In addition, various metabolic enzymes also actively regulate cancer-specific metabolism including the switch between aerobic and anaerobic glycolysis. For a long time, these metabolic changes in cancer cells have been considered a consequence of transformation required to maintain the high rate of tumor cell replication. However, recent studies indicate that alteration of metabolism is sufficient to initiate tumor transformation. Indeed, oncogenic mutations in the metabolic enzymes, isocitrate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase, have been increasingly found in various cancers, including head and neck cancers. In the present review, we introduce recent findings regarding the cancer metabolism, including the molecular mechanisms of how they affect cancer pathogenesis and maintenance. We also discuss the current and future perspectives on therapeutics that target metabolic pathways, with an emphasis on head and neck cancer.

Pretreatment serum lactate dehydrogenase as a prognostic indicator for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

To examine whether lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) can predict the prognosis of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to determine the optimal cut-off values for LDH.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 184 patients with OSCC, treated with surgery between 2006 and 2014. The association between LDH and T, N classification was investigated using the Mann-Whitney test. Cut-off values for LDH were determined with a recursive partitioning analysis (RPA). Survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox hazard model was used to assess the prognostic capability of LDH.

RESULTS

There was no association between LDH and T or N classification (p = .657, .619, respectively). RPA determined the cut-off values for LDH as 160 and 220 IU/L. The five year survival for low-, moderate-, and high-LDH groups were 87.7, 73.7, and 50.9%, respectively (p < .001). The hazard ratios (HRs) for death in moderate- and high-LDH groups were 2.92 (95%CI =1.02-12.30, p = .001) and 7.36 (95%CI =2.54-31.20, p < .001), respectively. The model including LDH-based stratification (Akaike's information criterion (AIC) = 516) was better than the model including clinical stage (AIC =528).

CONCLUSION

Pretreatment serum LDH is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in patients with OSCC.

Prognostic value of volumetric FDG PET/CT parameters in patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma who were treated by superselective intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the predictive and prognostic value of FDG PET/CT-based volumetric parameters in patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) treated by superselective intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy (IA-CRT).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study including 33 patients with biopsy-proven OTSCC between May 2007 and February 2016. All of the patients were treated by IA-CRT. Pretreatment SUV_max and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) of the primary tumor were measured. The SUV thresholds of 2.5 and 5.0 were used. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were chosen as endpoints to evaluate prognosis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the potential independent effect of FDG PET/CT parameters.

RESULTS

The median follow-up for surviving patients was 40.7 months (range 6.0-107.5 months). In univariate and multivariate analyses, SUV_max and MTV (5.0) were independent prognostic factors for PFS. In univariate analysis, SUV_max failed to predict OS. MTV (5.0) was a significant prognostic factor for OS, but multivariate analysis failed to show statistical independence because it could not exclude the possibility of an artifact due to N stage.

CONCLUSIONS

FDG PET/CT-based volumetric parameters may be significant prognostic markers for survival of patients with OTSCC who are treated by IA-CRT.

CT Texture Analysis Potentially Predicts Local Failure in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated with Chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The accurate prediction of prognosis and failure is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies for patients with cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of pretreatment CT texture analysis for the prediction of treatment failure in primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with chemoradiotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 62 patients diagnosed with primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who underwent contrast-enhanced CT examinations for staging, followed by chemoradiotherapy. CT texture features of the whole primary tumor were measured using an in-house developed Matlab-based texture analysis program. Histogram, gray-level co-occurrence matrix, gray-level run-length, gray-level gradient matrix, and Laws features were used for texture feature extraction. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to identify the optimal threshold of any significant texture parameter. We used multivariate Cox proportional hazards models to examine the association between the CT texture parameter and local failure, adjusting for age, sex, smoking, primary tumor stage, primary tumor volume, and human papillomavirus status.

RESULTS

Twenty-two patients (35.5%) developed local failure, and the remaining 40 (64.5%) showed local control. Multivariate analysis revealed that 3 histogram features (geometric mean [hazard ratio = 4.68, P = .026], harmonic mean [hazard ratio = 8.61, P = .004], and fourth moment [hazard ratio = 4.56, P = .048]) and 4 gray-level run-length features (short-run emphasis [hazard ratio = 3.75, P = .044], gray-level nonuniformity [hazard ratio = 5.72, P = .004], run-length nonuniformity [hazard ratio = 4.15, P = .043], and short-run low gray-level emphasis [hazard ratio = 5.94, P = .035]) were significant predictors of outcome after adjusting for clinical variables.

CONCLUSIONS

Independent primary tumor CT texture analysis parameters are associated with local failure in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Metabolic tumor volume of primary tumor predicts survival better than T classification in the larynx preservation approach

We aimed to determine whether pretreatment metabolic tumor volume of the primary tumor (T-MTV) or T classification would be a better predictor of laryngectomy-free survival (LFS) and overall survival (OS) after chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer requiring total laryngectomy. We analyzed 85 patients using a Cox proportional hazards model and evaluated its usefulness by Akaike's information criterion. A T-MTV cut-off value was determined by time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Interobserver reliability for measuring T-MTV was estimated by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). After adjustment for covariables, T-MTV, irrespective of whether a continuous or dichotomized variable, and T classification remained independent predictors of LFS and OS. Large T-MTV (>28.7 mL) was associated with inferior LFS (hazard ratio [HR], 4.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.97-8.70; P = 0.0003) and inferior OS (HR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.47-6.69; P = 0.004) compared with small T-MTV (≤28.7 mL). The T-MTV model outperformed the T classification model in predicting LFS and OS (P = 0.007 and 0.01, respectively). Three-year LFS and OS rates for patients with small versus large T-MTV were 68% vs 9% (P < 0.0001) and 77% vs 25% (P < 0.0001), respectively, whereas those for patients with T2-T3 versus T4a were 61% vs 31% (P = 0.003) and 71% vs 48% (P = 0.10), respectively. ICC was 0.99 (95% CI, 0.99-1.00). Given the excellent interobserver reliability, T-MTV is better than T classification to identify patients who would benefit from the larynx preservation approach.

Transaminase Activity Predicts Survival in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

Various serum biomarkers have been developed for predicting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) prognosis. However, none of them have been proven to be clinically significant. A recent study reported that the ratio of aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) to alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) had a prognostic effect on non-metastatic cancers. This study aimed to examine the effect of the AST/ALT ratio on the survival of patients with HNSCC. Clinical data of 356 patients with locoregionally advanced HNSCC were collected. The effect of the AST/ALT ratio on overall survival was analyzed using a Cox proportional hazard model. Moreover, recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was used to divide the patients into groups on the basis of the clinical stage and AST/ALT ratio. The prognostic ability of this grouping was validated using an independent data set (N = 167). The AST/ALT ratio ranged from 0.42 to 4.30 (median, 1.42) and was a prognostic factor for overall survival that was independent of age, primary sites, and tumor stage (hazard ratio: 1.36, confidence interval: 1.08−1.68, P = 0.010). RPA divided patients with stage IVA into the following two subgroups: high AST/ALT (≥2.3) and low AST/ALT (<2.3) subgroups. The 5-year survival rate for patients with stage III, stage IVA with a low AST/ALT ratio, stage IVA with a high AST/ALT ratio, and stage IVB were 64.8%, 49.2%, 28.6%, and 33.3%, respectively (p < 0.001). Compared with the low AST/ALT group, the adjusted hazard ratio for death was 2.17 for high AST/ALT group (confidence interval: 1.02–.22 P = 0.045). The AST/ALT ratio was demonstrated to be a prognostic factor of HNSCC. The ratio subdivided patients with stage IVA into low- and high-risk groups. Moreover, intensified treatment for the high-risk group may be considered.

Influence of volumetric 4'-[methyl-11C]-thiothymidine PET/CT parameters for prediction of the clinical outcome of head and neck cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

This prospective study compared the value of pretreatment 4'-[methyl-¹¹C]-thiothymidine (¹¹C-4DST) volumetric parameters and those of 2-deoxy-2-[18F] fluoro-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) in predicting the clinical outcome in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

METHODS

Fifty patients with HNSCC underwent ¹¹C-4DST PET/CT and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT prior to anticancer therapy. ¹⁸F-FDG metabolic tumor volume (¹⁸F-FDG MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were calculated from ¹⁸F-FDG PET, and ¹¹C-4DST MTV and total lesion proliferation (TLP) were calculated from ¹¹C-4DST PET. All parameters were measured for the primary lesion and metastatic lymph nodes. Associations between clinical factors and PET/CT parameters and prognostic value were analyzed.

RESULTS

Receiver-operating characteristic analysis revealed that MTV, TLG, and TLP acquired from the primary lesion and metastatic lymph nodes were good parameters for predicting disease relapse and death. The area under the curves (AUCs) ranged from 0.63 to 0.71 for ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT parameters. The AUCs of ¹¹C-4DST PET/CT parameters were larger than those of ¹⁸F-FDG (range 0.72-0.81). Univariate analysis revealed that individuals with tumors showing a high value for any PET/CT parameter were at a significantly increased risk of relapse. Upon multivariate analysis, ¹⁸F-FDG MTV, ¹¹C-4DST MTV and ¹¹C-4DST TLP were significant independent factors for relapse-free survival (P = 0.04, P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0005, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Pretreatment ¹¹C-4DST PET/CT volume-based parameters can provide important prognostic information about patients with HNSCC.

Role of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT in head and neck oncology: the point of view of the radiation oncologist

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignant tumour of the head and neck. The initial TNM staging, the evaluation of the tumour response during treatment, and the long-term surveillance are crucial moments in the approach to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Thus, at each of these moments, the choice of the best diagnostic tool providing the more precise and larger information is crucial. Positron emission tomography with fluorine-18 fludeoxyglucose integrated with CT (¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT) rapidly gained clinical acceptance, and it has become an important imaging tool in routine clinical oncology. However, controversial data are currently available, for example, on the role of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT imaging during radiotherapy planning, the prognostic value or its real clinical impact on treatment decisions. In this article, the role of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT imaging in HNSCC during pre-treatment staging, radiotherapy planning, treatment response assessment, prognosis and follow-up is reviewed focusing on current evidence and controversial issues. A proposal on how to integrate ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT in daily clinical practice is also described.

Treatment results and prognostic factors for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with salvage surgery after concurrent chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND

For primary organ preservation, concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is performed for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). In this organ-preservation setting with CCRT, surgery is reserved as a salvage treatment in cases of locoregional failure after CCRT. The purpose of the study was to review our experience with salvage surgery after CCRT for patients with SCCHN and to evaluate the effectiveness and prognostic factors affecting survival.

METHODS

The records of patients with stage II-IVB SCC of the larynx, oropharynx, or hypopharynx treated with salvage surgery after CCRT between 1998 and 2012 were reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 645 patients with previously untreated, resectable SCC of the larynx, oropharynx, or hypopharynx received CCRT. Salvage surgery was performed for 78 of 225 patients with residual or recurrent tumors. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival rates for patients who received salvage surgery were 61.0 and 65.5 %, respectively. Stage IV, poorly differentiated, synchronous double cancer, and surgical complications were significant predictors of unfavorable OS on multivariate analysis. Postoperative complications were observed in 30 patients (38.5 %).

CONCLUSIONS

Salvage surgery is the best therapeutic option for failure after CCRT for SCCHN because of its good survival rate, although a high surgical complication rate is seen. Patients with initial stage IV tumors, poorly differentiated SCC, or synchronous double cancer are considered for further adjuvant treatment.

Optimized imaging of the midface and orbits

A variety of imaging techniques are available for imaging the midface and orbits. This review article describes the different imaging techniques based on the recent literature and discusses their impact on clinical routine imaging. Imaging protocols are presented for different diseases and the different imaging modalities.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Comparison of Diffusion-weighted MRI at b-values of 1,000 and 2,000 s/mm(2) to Predict Response to Induction Chemotherapy

PURPOSE

Recent publications have reported contradictory results of pretreatment diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) for the prediction of chemoradiotherapeutic response in primary squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC). Therefore, we evaluated the diagnostic performance of DWI obtained with both standard (b = 0 and 1,000 s/mm²) and high (b = 0 and 2,000 s/mm²) b-values for predicting response to induction chemotherapy in HNSCCs.

METHODS

For 25 patients with primary HNSCC who underwent DWI with both standard and high b-values prior to treatment, we calculated corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps. Regions of interest containing the tumor were drawn on every section of ADC maps and summated to make volume-based data of the entire tumor. Histogram parameters (mean ADC, kurtosis, and skewness) were correlated with treatment response using unpaired Student t test. Univariate and multivariate analysis of the ADC parameters, patient age, sex, whole tumor volume, and T stage were also performed to predict tumor response to induction chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Response to induction chemotherapy was good in 13 of the 25 patients and poor in 12. The mean ADC values of good responders at standard b-value (ADC1000), 1.23 ± 0.34 (× 10⁻³ mm²/s), and high b-value (ADC2000), 0.62 ± 0.14 (× 10⁻³ mm²/s), were lower than those of poor responders (ADC1000, 1.32 ± 0.28 [× 10⁻³ mm²/s]; ADC2000, 0.76 ± 0.15 [× 10⁻³ mm²/s]), but significant difference was achieved only at the ADC2000 map (P = 0.02). In addition, mean tumor volume prior to treatment of good responders was smaller than that of poor responders. However, at multiple logistic regression analysis, only the mean ADC2000 value remained as a significant predictor of response to induction chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

DWI with high b-values (b = 0 and 2,000 s/mm²) as an assessment of ADC values may help predict tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for primary HNSCCs.

PET imaging biomarkers in head and neck cancer

In locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the role of imaging becomes more and more critical in the management process. In this framework, molecular imaging techniques such as PET allow noninvasive assessment of a range of tumour biomarkers such as metabolism, hypoxia and proliferation, which can serve different purposes. First, in a pretreatment setting they can influence therapy selection strategies and target delineation for radiation therapy. Second, their predictive and/or prognostic value could help enhance the therapeutic ratio in the management of HNSCC. Third, treatment modification can be performed through the generation of a molecular-based heterogeneous dose distribution with dose escalation to the most resistant parts of the tumour, a concept known as dose painting. Fourth, they are increasingly becoming a tool for monitoring response to therapy. In this review, PET imaging biomarkers used in the routine management of HNSCC or under investigation are discussed.