Unidimensional Measurement May Evaluate Target Lymph Nodal Response After Induction Chemotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

• Published in: Medicine (Baltimore) 2016-03, Vol.95 (9), p.e2667-e2667
• Main Authors: Chen, Chuanben, Zhang, Mingwei, Xu, Yuanji, Yue, Qiuyuan, Bai, Penggang, Zhou, Lin, Xiao, Youping, Zheng, Dechun, Lin, Kongqi, Qiu, Sufang, Chen, Yunbin, Pan, Jianji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Carcinoma; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted - methods; Female; Humans; Induction Chemotherapy - methods; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymphatic Metastasis - pathology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Middle Aged; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - pathology; Neck; Neoplasm Staging; Observational Study; Outcome Assessment, Health Care - methods; Tumor Burden
• ISSN: 0025-7974; 1536-5964
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000002667

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether short axis and long axis on axial and coronal magnetic resonance imaging planes would reflect the tumor burden or alteration in size after induction chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Patients with pathologically confirmed nasopharyngeal carcinoma (n = 37) with at least 1 positive cervical lymph node (axial short axis ≥15 mm) were consecutively enrolled in this prospective study. Lymph nodal measurements were performed along its short axis and long axis in both axial and coronal magnetic resonance imaging planes at diagnosis and after 2 cycles of induction chemotherapy. In addition, lymph nodal volumes were automatically calculated in 3D treatment-planning system, which were used as reference standard. Student's t test or nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the continuous quantitative variables. Meanwhile, the κ statistic and McNemar's test were used to evaluate the degree of agreement and discordance in response categorization among different measurements. Axial short axis was significantly associated with volumes at diagnosis (P