title: [The value of medical imaging in the diagnosis and assessment of local and regional extension of cancers of the cavum at Yaounde].
abstract: In this work, we aimed to provide a clear description of the contribution to and role of major imaging techniques in the diagnosis of cancers of the cavum and assessment of their local and regional expansion. This should provide doctors with a useful guide for decisions concerning the imaging technique to be used. This is a retrospective analysis of 41 cases of cavum cancer, all confirmed by histology. The series consisted of 29 male patients (70%) and 12 female patients (30%), giving a sex ratio of 2.4. The mean age of the patients was 42 years (range: 11 to 71 years). All patients were examined and treated in the Radiology and Oncological Radiotherapy Department of Yaounde General Hospital over a period of eight years (December 1988 to November 1996 inclusive). All data relating to diagnosis, assessment of local and regional expansion and the response of the tumor to treatment were retrieved from the medical files and analyzed. We found that clinical diagnosis of cancer of the cavum was difficult and this cancer was often diagnosed late. It was therefore often necessary to resort to paraclinical means of diagnosis and assessment of expansion, such as endoscopy, conventional X rays and tomography. Endoscopy and conventional X rays give poor results but may be used if there is a lack of equipment or for an initial examination, to be followed by assessment using other methods. Tomography remains the most effective technique and is recommended for the diagnosis of cancers of the cavum and for assessment of their local and regional expansion.
authors.affiliation: Service de radiothérapie, Hôpital général, BP 5408 Yaoundé, Cameroun.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yomi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fongang
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Juimo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed