Prognostic impact of magnetic resonance imaging‐detected cranial nerve involvement in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

• Published in: Cancer 2009-05, Vol.115 (9), p.1995-2003
• Main Authors: Liu, Lizhi, Liang, Shaobo, Li, Li, Mao, Yanping, Tang, Linglong, Tian, Li, Liao, Xinbiao, Cui, Chunyan, Lin, Aihua, Ma, Jun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Cranial Nerve Diseases - etiology; Cranial Nerve Neoplasms - diagnosis; Cranial Nerve Neoplasms - mortality; Cranial Nerve Neoplasms - secondary; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; MRI‐detected cranial nerve involvement; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - mortality; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - pathology; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Prognosis; Survival Analysis; Tumors; Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24201

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐detected cranial nerve (CN) involvement in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Retrospective analysis was made of the magnetic resonance images and medical records of 924 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed NPC. RESULTS: Of 924 patients, 82 (8.9%) initially presented with CN palsy. CN involvement was seen on MRI in 333 (36%) patients. In T3‐4 disease, MRI‐evidenced CN involvement was associated with poor 3‐year overall survival (OS) (35.7% vs 89.2%, P = .001) and distant metastasis‐free survival (DMFS) (77.1% vs 87.8%, P = .002) rates. The survival curves of OS and DMFS for T3 disease with MRI‐detected CN involvement approximated those of T4 disease (P = .322 and P = .809, respectively). In patients with MRI‐detected CN involvement, no significant differences were observed in 3‐year OS (78.3% vs 72.9%, P = .120), local relapse‐free survival (LRFS) (89.7% vs 84.1%, P = .154), or DMFS (79.6% vs 74.8%, P = .466) rates between those with and without intracranial or orbital CN involvement. Furthermore, in patients with clinical and/or MRI‐detected CN involvement, there were no significant differences in the 3‐year OS (74.2% vs 80.1%, P = .067), LRFS (86.7% vs 87.9%, P = .899), or DMFS (74.6% vs 84.6%, P = .094) rates between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of MRI‐detected CN involvement was higher than CN palsy. MRI‐detected CN involvement has a negative impact on the prognosis independent of lesion localization and symptoms. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society. Retrospective analysis was made of the magnetic resonance images and medical records of 924 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Magnetic resonance imaging‐detected cranial nerve involvement was found to have a negative impact on prognosis independent of lesion localization and symptoms.