Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Detected Intracranial Extension in the T4 Classification Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma with Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

The application of 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging in nasopharyngeal carcinoma with pterygopalatine fossa invasion

OBJECT

The pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) is a covert neurovascular pathway in the skull base and connects with numerous intracranial and extracranial spaces. The aim of this study was to explore the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of PPF invasion in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The medical records of 88 patients with stage T3 or T4 NPC were retrospectively analyzed. The 3-Dimensional (3D) volumetric images of MRI were reconstructed for the tiny connecting conduits of the invaded PPFs in the NPC patients. The infiltration incidence of conduits and connected further structures were calculated.

RESULTS

Forty-six PPFs from 37 patients were invaded by NPC. The proportions of stage T4 NPC and intracranial extension were higher in patients with PPF invasion than that without PPF invasion (P < 0.05). Each connecting conduit of the PPF had corresponding optimal reconstructed orientation based on 3D volumetric MRI images. The first three most common infiltrated conduits were palatovaginal canal, vidian canal and sphenopalatine foramen, which were adjacent to the nasopharynx. Among the conduits connecting with further structures, the most common infiltrated conduit was pterygomaxillary fissure, followed by foramen rotundum and inferior orbital fissure. Furthermore, The NPC lesions involved stage T4 structures via the conduits from 19.6% of the invaded PPFs.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of high-quality reconstruction images based on 3D sequence of MRI in NPC patients proved to be feasible and beneficial for the manifestation of the invaded PPFs and connecting conduits.

Prognostic value of MR-detected mandibular nerve involvement: potential indication for future individual induction chemotherapy in T4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PURPOSE

To investigate the prognostic significance of MR-detected mandibular nerve involvement (MNI) and its value for induction chemotherapy (IC) administration in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and T4 disease.

METHODS

This retrospective study enrolled 792 non-metastatic, biopsy-proven NPC patients. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to evaluate potential prognosticators. The inter-observer agreement was assessed by the kappa values.

RESULTS

MR-detected MNI was observed in 141 (72.3%) patients among 195 patients with T4 disease, with excellent agreement between the readers (kappa = 0.926). Patients with MR-detected MNI presented better 5-year overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.40; P = 0.006) than those with MR-negative MNI. Of these patients, IC treatment was verified as an independent factor (HR: 0.35; P = 0.014) with preferable effect on OS.

CONCLUSION

MR-detected MNI could serve as an independent favorable prognostic predictor for OS in NPC patients with stage T4, which should be considered for stratifying these patients for IC administration.

MRI-based random survival Forest model improves prediction of progression-free survival to induction chemotherapy plus concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Locoregionally Advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

The present study aimed to explore the application value of random survival forest (RSF) model and Cox model in predicting the progression-free survival (PFS) among patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC) after induction chemotherapy plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy (IC + CCRT).

Methods

Eligible LANPC patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan before treatment were subjected to radiomics feature extraction. Radiomics and clinical features of patients in the training cohort were subjected to RSF analysis to predict PFS and were tested in the testing cohort. The performance of an RSF model with clinical and radiologic predictors was assessed with the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) and Delong test and compared with Cox models based on clinical and radiologic parameters. Further, the Kaplan-Meier method was used for risk stratification of patients.

Results

A total of 294 LANPC patients (206 in the training cohort; 88 in the testing cohort) were enrolled and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans before treatment. The AUC value of the clinical Cox model, radiomics Cox model, clinical + radiomics Cox model, and clinical + radiomics RSF model in predicting 3- and 5-year PFS for LANPC patients was [0.545 vs 0.648 vs 0.648 vs 0.899 (training cohort), and 0.566 vs 0.736 vs 0.730 vs 0.861 (testing cohort); 0.556 vs 0.604 vs 0.611 vs 0.897 (training cohort), and 0.591 vs 0.661 vs 0.676 vs 0.847 (testing cohort), respectively]. Delong test showed that the RSF model and the other three Cox models were statistically significant, and the RSF model markedly improved prediction performance (P < 0.001). Additionally, the PFS of the high-risk group was lower than that of the low-risk group in the RSF model (P < 0.001), while comparable in the Cox model (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

The RSF model may be a potential tool for prognostic prediction and risk stratification of LANPC patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09832-6.

Locoregional Extension Patterns of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Detected by FDG PET/MR

Purpose

We sought to define the locoregional extension patterns of nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) by positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to improve clinical target volume (CTV) delineation.

Methods

Between May 2017 and March 2021, 331 consecutive patients with nonmetastatic NPCs who underwent pretreatment, simultaneous whole-body PET/MRI for staging were included in this study.

Results

The high-risk regions included the base of the sphenoid bone, the prestyloid compartment, prevertebral muscle, foramen lacerum, medial pterygoid plate, sphenoidal sinus, clivus, petrous apex, and foramen ovale. When the high-risk regions were invaded, the incidence rates of tumor invasion into the medium-risk regions increased. In contrast, when the high-risk regions were not involved, the incidence rates of tumor invasion into the medium-risk regions were mostly less than 10%, excluding the post-styloid compartment and oropharynx. According to the updated consensus guidelines of the neck node levels for head and neck tumors from 2013, level IIa (77.3%, 256/331), level IIb (75.8%, 251/331), and level VIIa (71.3%, 236/331) were the most frequently involved levels, followed by levels III (42.6%), Va (13.9%), IVa (8.8%), IVb (3.6%), Ib (3.6%), Vb (2.4%), VIIb (2.4%), VIII (1.8%), Vc (0.9%), and Xa (0.3%). Skip lymph node metastasis occurred in only 1.9% of patients.

Conclusions

For NPCs, primary disease and regional lymph node spread follow an orderly pattern, and a skip pattern of lymph node metastasis was unusual. Involved level radiotherapy might be feasible for cervical lymph node levels below the caudal border of cricoid cartilage and level VIIb.

Orbital Metastases: A Systematic Review of Clinical Characteristics, Management Strategies, and Treatment Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Orbital metastases often lead to severe functional impairment. The role of resection, orbital exenteration, and complementary treatments is still debated. We systematically reviewed the literature on orbital metastases.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, Web-of-Science, and Cochrane were searched upon PRISMA guidelines to identify studies on orbital metastases. Clinical characteristics, management strategies, and survival were analyzed.

RESULTS

We included 262 studies comprising 873 patients. Median age was 59 years. The most frequent primary tumors were breast (36.3%), melanoma (10.1%), and prostate (8.5%) cancers, with median time interval of 12 months (range, 0-420). The most common symptoms were proptosis (52.3%) and relative-afferent-pupillary-defect (38.7%). Most metastases showed a diffuse location within the orbit (19%), with preferential infiltration of orbital soft tissues (40.2%). In 47 cases (5.4%), tumors extended intracranially. Incisional biopsy (63.7%) was preferred over fine-needle aspiration (10.2%), with partial resection (16.6%) preferred over complete (9.5%). Orbital exenteration was pursued in 26 patients (3%). A total of 305 patients (39.4%) received chemotherapy, and 506 (58%) received orbital radiotherapy. Post-treatment symptom improvement was significantly superior after resection (p = 0.005) and orbital radiotherapy (p = 0.032). Mean follow-up was 14.3 months, and median overall survival was 6 months. Fifteen cases (1.7%) demonstrated recurrence with median local control of six months. Overall survival was statistically increased in patients with breast cancer (p < 0.001) and in patients undergoing resection (p = 0.024) but was not correlated with orbital location (p = 0.174), intracranial extension (p = 0.073), biopsy approach (p = 0.344), extent-of-resection (p = 0.429), or orbital exenteration (p = 0.153).

CONCLUSIONS

Orbital metastases severely impair patient quality of life. Surgical resection safely provides symptom and survival benefit compared to biopsy, while orbital radiotherapy significantly improves symptoms compared to not receiving radiotherapy.

Prognostic Factors for Overall Survival in Nasopharyngeal Cancer and Implication for TNM Staging by UICC: A Systematic Review of the Literature

This study aims to identify prognostic factors in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) to improve the current 8th edition TNM classification. A systematic review of the literature reported between 2013 and 2019 in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus was conducted. Studies were included if (1) original clinical studies, (2) ≥50 NPC patients, and (3) analyses on the association between prognostic factors and overall survival. The data elements of eligible studies were abstracted and analyzed. A level of evidence was synthesized for each suggested change to the TNM staging and prognostic factors. Of 5,595 studies screened, 108 studies (44 studies on anatomical criteria and 64 on non-anatomical factors) were selected. Proposed changes/factors with strong evidence included the upstaging paranasal sinus to T4, defining parotid lymph node as N3, upstaging N-category based on presence of lymph node necrosis, as well as the incorporation of non-TNM factors including EBV-DNA level, primary gross tumor volume (GTV), nodal GTV, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, platelet count, SUVmax of the primary tumor, and total lesion glycolysis. This systematic review provides a useful summary of suggestions and prognostic factors that potentially improve the current staging system. Further validation studies are warranted to confirm their significance.

Detailed analysis of recovery process of cranial nerve palsy after IMRT-based comprehensive treatment in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

Cranial nerve (CN) palsy due to cancer involvement has been considered as an unfavorable prognostic factor for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We assessed the role of IMRT based treatment on the recovery of CN palsy and investigated the prognostic value of complete recovery of CN palsy.

Methods

A total of 115 NPC patients with cancer-related CN palsy were included in the study. We referred CTCAE version 5.0 to evaluate the grade of CN palsy.

Results

All patients with grade 1 CN palsy recovered completely during the 2 years of follow-up after definite treatment. Most grade 2 palsy could change gradually to grade 1 palsy or complete recovery during 2 years of follow-up. Patients with more than 2 symptoms of CN palsy had poor 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) than these with 1 or 2 symptoms (60.3% vs. 84.9%, HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.07–0.89, P = 0.001). There were no significant differences for PFS, OS, DMFS and LRFS between patients with complete recovery and non-complete recovery from CN palsy after receiving IMRT based comprehensive treatment.

Conclusions

IMRT based comprehensive treatment could effectively promote the recovery of tumor-related CN palsy for NPC patient. More than 2 symptoms of CN palsy was a poor prognostic factor for DFS of NPC patients. The prognostic role of complete recovery of CN palsy was not identified in our study.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13014-021-01846-x.

Significance of boost dose for T4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma with residual primary lesion after intensity-modulated radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Previous studies showed poorer survival in T4 disease with residual lesion. To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of a boost dose for T4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), patients with a residual primary lesion after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

METHODS

398 T4 NPC patients with residual primary lesions after radical IMRT were retrospectively reviewed. An IMRT boost dose of 4-6.75 Gy was delivered to the residual lesions in 2-3 fractions. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance potential confounders between groups (ratio, 1:2). The presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in plasma after IMRT was used for risk stratification.

RESULTS

Patients who received boost radiation had significantly improved overall survival (OS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) compared with those who did not (all P < 0.05). In the matched cohort, 3-year OS was 86.6% in the boost radiation group and 72.7% in the non-boost group (P = 0.022). Three-year LRFS was 93.4% in the boost radiation group and 83.5% in the non-boost group (P = 0.022). In the subgroup analysis, boost dose was shown to significantly improve 3-year OS (88.0% vs. 74.1%, P = 0.021) in the low-risk group (with undetectable plasma EBV DNA after IMRT). The administration of a boost dose also improved 3-year OS in the high-risk group (with detectable plasma EBV DNA after IMRT) (66.7% vs. 60.0%, P = 0.375). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that boost dose was the only protective prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION

The addition of a boost dose for T4 NPC patients with residual primary lesion after radical IMRT provides satisfactory tumor control and clinical benefit. Additional timely and effective strengthening treatments are recommended for patients with detectable levels of plasma EBV DNA after radiotherapy.

Can Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion Imaging be Used to Differentiate Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma From Nasopharyngeal Lymphoma?

BACKGROUND

Differentiating nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from nasopharyngeal lymphoma (NPL) is useful for deciding the appropriate treatment. However, the diagnostic accuracy of current imaging methods is low.

PURPOSE

To explore the feasibility of arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion imaging in the qualitative and quantitative differentiation between NPC and NPL to improve the diagnosis of malignancies in the nasopharynx.

STUDY TYPE

Retrospective.

POPULATION

Ninety seven patients: NPC (65 cases) and NPL (32 cases), histologically confirmed.

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE

3T/3D fast spin echo pseudo-continuous ASL imaging with spiral readout scheme, 3D inverse recovery_- fast spoiled gradient recalled echo brain volume (BRAVO) imaging.

ASSESSMENT

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) images from ASL perfusion imaging were assessed by three radiologists. Each tumor was visually scored based on CBF images. Intratumoral CBF and intramuscular CBF values were obtained from intratumoral and lateral pterygoid muscle areas, respectively. Through dividing intratumoral CBF by intramuscular CBF, normalized CBF (nCBF) was further calculated.

STATISTICAL TESTS

Fleiss's kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess interobserver agreement among the three readers. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare visual scoring, and an unpaired t-test was performed to compare CBF value between the NPC and NPL groups. The area under the curve (AUC) value was used to quantify the diagnostic ability of each parameter.

RESULTS

Good interobserver agreements were validated by high Fleiss's kappa and ICC values (all >0.80). NPCs showed significantly higher visual scores than NPLs (P < 0.05). Both intratumoral CBF and nCBF in NPC were significantly higher than those in NPL (both P < 0.05). Intratumoral CBF showed the highest AUC of 0.861 (P < 0.05) in differentiating NPC (n = 65) from NPL (n = 32), while the AUCs of nCBF and visual scoring were 0.847 and 0.753, respectively.

DATA CONCLUSION

For the diagnosis of distinguishing NPC from NPL, ASL perfusion imaging demonstrated high diagnostic efficiency.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2.

Influence of maximum MLC leaf speed on the quality of volumetric modulated arc therapy plans

Purpose

Maximum leaf speed is a configurable parameter of MLC in a treatment‐planning system. This study investigated the influence of MLC on the quality of VMAT plans.

Methods

Seven MLCs with different maximum leaf speeds (1.0, 1.5, 2.25, 3.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10 cm/s) were configured for an accelerator in treatment‐planning system. Correspondingly, seven treatment plans, with the identical initial optimization parameter, were designed with the mdaccAutoPlan system. Six nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and nine rectal cancer patients were selected, representing complex and simple clinical circumstances. VMAT plan quality was evaluated with PlanIQ^TM software. The results were statistically analyzed with a one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and pairwise comparison tests.

Results

The relative changes of plan scores achieved by the seven configured accelerators, with specific maximum MLC leaf speed (MMLS) for each patient, were studied. Two apparent trends of MMLS influence on VMAT plan scores were observed: Plan scores increased with MMLS; Plan scores increased rapidly when MMLS increased from 1 to 3.5, thus the relative change of plan score decreased in this MMLS range. The stationary point of maximum MLC speed (MMSSP) is defined, for the specific MMLS when the relative changes of plan scores is first <5%, as MMLS increases from 1.0 to 10. For rectal plans, MMSSPs were 2.25 for six patients and 3.5 for the other three patients. For NPC plans, MMSSPs were 3.5 for five patients and 2.25 for one patient.

Conclusion

This work indicates that MMLS directly influences VMAT plan quality in NPC cases and rectal cancer cases. VMAT plan quality improved conspicuously as MMLS increased from 1 to 3.5, VMAT plan quality with marginal improvement when MMLS is above 3.5.

Clinical outcomes for nasopharyngeal cancer with intracranial extension after taxane-based induction chemotherapy and concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in the modern era

Objective

To evaluate the survival outcomes for a cohort of nasopharyngeal cancer with intracranial extension (ICE) treated with induction chemotherapy (ICT) followed by chemo-intensity-modulated radiotherapy (CTRT) at a tertiary cancer center.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 45 patients with histologically proven, non-metastatic NPC with ICE treated at our institute between October 2008 and October 2016. Patients were classified as minor ICE or major ICE, based on the extent of ICE. All the patients received 2–3 cycles of a taxane-based ICT regimen followed by CTRT. Radiotherapy was delivered with “risk-adapted” intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) technique in all patients.

Results

After a median follow up of 45 months (range: 8–113 months), the estimated 5-year DFS, LRFS, DMFS, and OS of the entire cohort was 58%, 82%, 67% and 74% respectively. On multivariate analysis, histological subtype was an independent predictor of LRFS, and age was an independent predictor of DFS. The extent of ICE showed only a trend towards worse DFS (P = 0.06). None of the factors significantly predicted for DMFS or OS. Gender, N-stage, and response to ICT did not significantly affect any of the outcomes. Grade 2 or worse subcutaneous fibrosis was seen in 22% of patients and grade 2 or worse xerostomia was seen in 24% of patients at last follow up. Thirty-three percent of the patients developed clinical hypothyroidism at last follow up. None of the patients experienced any neurological or vascular complications.

Conclusions

Taxane-based induction chemotherapy followed by chemo-intensity modulated radiotherapy resulted in excellent locoregional control and survival with acceptable toxicities in patients of nasopharyngeal cancer with intracranial extension. Distant metastasis continues to be the predominant problem in these patients.

Grading of MRI-detected skull-base invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma with skull-base invasion after intensity-modulated radiotherapy

Background

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of grading MRI–detected skull-base invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with skull-base invasion after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Methods

This study is a retrospective chart review of 469 non-metastatic NPC patients with skull-base invasion. Patients were classified as extensive skull-base invasion (ESBI) group and limited skull-base invasion (LSBI) group.

Results

Multivariate analysis showed that the skull-base invasion (LSBI vs. ESBI) was an independent prognostic predictor of progression free survival (PFS). The estimated 5-year local failure free survival (LFFS), distant metastasis free survival (DMFS), PFS, and overall survival (OS) rates for patients in the T3-LSBI and T3-ESBI group were 92.9% versus 93.5, 89.8% versus 86.1, 81.6% versus 76.4, and 93.5% versus 86.3%, respectively (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Grading of MRI-detected skull-base invasion is an independent prognostic factor of NPC with skull-base invasion. It is scientific and reasonable for skull-base invasion as a single entity to be classified as T3 classification.

Paranasal Sinus Invasion in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma after Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of paranasal sinus invasion for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its suitable position in the T classification.

Materials and Methods

The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 695 patients with previously untreated, biopsy-proven, non-metastatic NPC that was treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

The incidence of paranasal sinus invasion was 39.4% (274 of 695 patients). Multivariate analysis showed that paranasal sinus invasion was an independent negative prognostic factor for local failure-free survival (LFFS) (p < 0.05). According to the eighth American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system, 275 patients were classified as T3 classification. Of these, 78 patients (28.4%) developed paranasal sinus invasion (T3b) and 197 (71.6%) didn't (T3a). The estimated 5-year LFFS and overall survival (OS) rates for the patients with T3b and T3a classification were 88.6% versus 95.0% (p=0.047), and 84.5% versus 93.3% (p=0.183), respectively. The estimated 5-year LFFS and OS rates for the patientswith T4 classificationwere 89.5% and 83.2%,whichwere similarwith the outcomes of patients with T3b classification.

CONCLUSION

MRI-determined paranasal sinus invasion is an independent prognostic factor of NPC treated by IMRT. Paranasal sinus invasion is recommended to classify as T4 classification in the 8th AJCC staging system for NPC.

Dosimetric comparison and observation of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and the incidence of complications. Between May 2010 and June 2012, 141 patients diagnosed with local recurrence of NPC due to cranial base lesions or cranial nerve symptoms, confirmed by pathology biopsy and/or by CT/MRI, were included in the present study. In accordance with the principle of randomized control, the patients were divided into three groups and treated with three different doses of 3D-CRT. The planned radiotherapy doses of 3D-CRT were 58/1.8–2 Gy, 62/1.8–2 Gy and 68/1.8–2 Gy, respectively. The survival rate, disease-free survival (DFS) rate and local control rate of the three groups of patients were compared as well as the adverse reactions observed after radiotherapy. The prognoses of NPC patients were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. The follow-up rate of the study was 100%. The 5-year overall survival, DFS, and locoregional recurrence-free survival rates were: 43.2 vs. 64.53 vs. 75%, 29.13 vs. 42.82 vs. 39.7% and 30.76 vs. 44.19 vs. 45.4%, respectively. In addition, 62/1.8–2 Gy was similar in treatment effects to 68/1.8–2 Gy, but 68/1.8–2 Gy showed more adverse reactions than 62/1.8–2 Gy. Thus, 62/1.8–2 Gy can be used as a safe and effective dose for 3D-CRT treatment of NPC. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that age may be the main prognostic factor of patients with NPC. In conclusion, 3D-CRT with a dose of 62/1.8–2 Gy is a safe, effective and tolerable treatment for NPC patients with good clinical value.