Tongue cancer treated with irradiation: assessment with MR imaging.
We examined the usefulness of MRI in differentiating post-radiation scar tissue from the residual tumour. Ten consecutive patients who underwent MR imaging before and after radiation therapy were assessed prospectively. T1- and T2-weighted images using a 1.5 unit were obtained in 10 patients (3 T1, 6 T2, 1 T3) at 1 week before irradiation, and 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and every 6 months thereafter following completion of radiation. Although all T2 and T3 tumours demonstrated high signal intensity compared to muscle on T2-weighted images, the T1 tumour could be demonstrated in only one of three patients. Six patients in whom the primary tumour clinically disappeared demonstrated low signal intensity on T2-weighted images until 4 months after completion of radiation therapy (range 1 week to 4 months). This study suggests that MRI can detect primary tumours larger than T2 (2 cm), and may be useful in assessing the effectiveness of therapy for tongue cancer.
Sugimura
K
K
Department of Radiology, Shimane Medical University, Enya Izumo, Japan.
Kuroda
S
S
Furukawa
T
T
Matsuda
S
S
Yoshimura
Y
Y
Ishida
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology*; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome