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Zhu Y, Luo C, Zhou S, Li H, Liu L, Kou KI, Lei F, Zhang G, Cao D, Liang Z. Optimal Size Threshold for MRI-Detected Retropharyngeal Lymph Nodes to Predict Outcomes in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Two-Center Study. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2024; 222:e2329984. [PMID: 37753859 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.23.29984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND. Retropharyngeal lymph node (RLN) metastases have profound prognostic implications in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the AJCC staging system does not specify a size threshold for determining RLN involvement, resulting in inconsistent thresholds in practice. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article was to determine the optimal size threshold for determining the presence of metastatic RLNs on MRI in patients with NPC, in terms of outcome predictions. METHODS. This retrospective study included 1752 patients (median age, 46 years; 1297 men, 455 women) with NPC treated by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (RT) from January 2010 to March 2014 from two hospitals; 438 patients underwent MRI 3-4 months after treatment. Two radiologists measured the minimal axial diameter (MAD) of the largest RLN for each patient using a consensus process. A third radiologist measured MAD in 260 randomly selected patients to assess interobserver agreement. Initial ROC and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to derive an optimal MAD threshold for predicting progression-free survival (PFS). The threshold's predictive utility was assessed in multivariable Cox regression analyses, controlling for standard clinical predictors. The threshold's utility for predicting PFS and overall survival (OS) was compared with a 5-mm threshold using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. RESULTS. The intraclass correlation coefficient for MAD was 0.943. ROC and RCS analyses yielded an optimal threshold of 6 mm. In multivariable analyses, MAD of 6 mm and greater independently predicted PFS in all patients (HR = 1.35, p = .02), patients with N0 or N1 disease (HR = 1.80, p = .008), and patients who underwent posttreatment MRI (HR = 1.68, p = .04). In patients with N1 disease without cervical lymph node involvement, 5-year PFS was worse for MAD greater than or equal to 6 mm than for MAD that was greater than or equal to 5 mm but less than 6 mm (77.2% vs 89.7%, p = .03). OS was significantly different in patients with stage I and stage II disease defined using a 6-mm threshold (p = .04), but not using a 5-mm threshold (p = .09). The 5-year PFS rate was associated with a post-RT MAD of 6 mm and greater (HR = 1.68, p = .04) but not a post-RT MAD greater than or equal to 5 mm (HR = 1.09, p = .71). CONCLUSION. The findings support a threshold MAD of 6 mm for determining RLN involvement in patients with NPC. CLINICAL IMPACT. Future AJCC staging updates should consider incorporation of the 6-mm threshold for N-category and tumor-stage determinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliang Zhu
- Nasopharyngeal Head and Neck Tumor Radiotherapy Department, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, Zhongshan, P. R. China
| | - Chao Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangdong 510060, P. R. China
| | - Shumin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangdong 510060, P. R. China
| | - Haojiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangdong 510060, P. R. China
| | - Lizhi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangdong 510060, P. R. China
| | - Kit Ian Kou
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macao Special Administrative Region, P. R. China
| | - Feng Lei
- Nasopharyngeal Head and Neck Tumor Radiotherapy Department, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, Zhongshan, P. R. China
| | - Guoyi Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, the First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, P. R. China
| | - Di Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangdong 510060, P. R. China
| | - Zhiying Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangdong 510060, P. R. China
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Baba A, Kurokawa R, Kurokawa M, Rivera-de Choudens R, Srinivasan A. Performance of axial diameter on MR imaging for identification of retropharyngeal lymph node metastases in head and neck cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuroradiology 2023; 65:1363-1369. [PMID: 37522935 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-023-03205-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To summarize previous studies' data and to calculate the diagnostic performance of minimum axial diameter (MIAD) and maximum axial diameter (MAAD) on each of the cutoff values in retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLNs) metastases in head and neck cancer. METHODS MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched for systematic review. Meta-analysis was performed to summarize estimates of sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and generate summary recipient operator characteristic (sROC). RESULTS The review identified 5 studies with a total of 634 patients (971 lesions) that were eligible for the meta-analysis. The estimated sensitivity, specificity, and DOR at MIAD 5 mm cutoff and MIAD 6 mm cutoff were 89.8% and 74.3%, 82.7% and 92.7%, and 39.1 and 57.9, respectively. The estimated sensitivity, specificity, and DOR at MAAD 7 mm cutoff and MAAD 8 mm cutoff were 90.3% and 84.7%, 62.7% and 79.9%, and 17.8 and 21.7, respectively. The AUCs of sROC at MIAD 5 mm cutoff and MIAD 6 mm cutoff were 0.922 and 0.943. At MAAD 7 mm and MAAD 8 mm, they were 0.840 and 0.888. CONCLUSION The diagnostic performance of the MIAD 6 mm cutoff in RPLN metastases from head and neck cancer was 2% higher than the MIAD 5 mm cutoff. The diagnostic performance of MIAD was higher than that of MAAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Baba
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Radiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan.
| | - Ryo Kurokawa
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Radiology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Mariko Kurokawa
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Radiology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Roberto Rivera-de Choudens
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ashok Srinivasan
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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Ai QYH, So TY, Hung KF, King AD. Normal size of benign upper neck nodes on MRI: parotid, submandibular, occipital, facial, retroauricular and level IIb nodal groups. Cancer Imaging 2022; 22:66. [PMID: 36482491 PMCID: PMC9730594 DOI: 10.1186/s40644-022-00504-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Nodal size is an important imaging criterion for differentiating benign from malignant nodes in the head and neck cancer staging. This study evaluated the size of normal nodes in less well-documented nodal groups in the upper head and neck on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS Analysis was performed on 289 upper head and neck MRIs of patients without head and neck cancer. The short axial diameters (SAD) of the largest node in the parotid, submandibular, occipital, facial, retroauricular and Level IIb of the upper internal jugular nodal groups were documented and compared to the commonly used threshold of ≥ 10 mm for diagnosis of a malignant node. RESULTS Normal nodes in the parotid, occipital, retroauricular and Level IIb groups were small with a mean SAD ranging from 3.8 to 4.4 mm, nodes in the submandibular group were larger with a mean SAD of 5.5 mm and facial nodes were not identified. A size ≥ 10 mm was found in 0.8% of submandibular nodes. Less than 10% of the other nodal group had a SAD of ≥ 6 mm and none of them had a SAD ≥ 8 mm. CONCLUSION To identify malignant neck nodes in these groups there is scope to reduce the size threshold of ≥ 10 mm to improve sensitivity without substantial loss of specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Yong H. Ai
- grid.16890.360000 0004 1764 6123Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong S.A.R, P.R. China ,grid.415197.f0000 0004 1764 7206Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong S.A.R, P.R. China
| | - Tiffany Y. So
- grid.415197.f0000 0004 1764 7206Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong S.A.R, P.R. China
| | - Kuo Feng Hung
- grid.194645.b0000000121742757Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R, P.R. China
| | - Ann D. King
- grid.415197.f0000 0004 1764 7206Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong S.A.R, P.R. China
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