title: The TNM classification revisited: role of anatomic and functional imaging in head and neck cancer.
abstract: Several imaging-derived parameters are powerful predictors of local and locoregional control in irradiated head and neck cancer, offering additional information to the TN-classification. Most information is available on the use of CT-determined parameters as predictor of local outcome of laryngeal cancer after curative radiation therapy. There is evidence that also functional imaging will provide complementary information on the prognosis of head and neck tumours. Such prognostic information is helpful in determining the relative value of surgery and radiation therapy, the selection of patients likely to benefit from neoadjuvant treatment, and identifying patients at high risk for recurrence to be followed more closely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hermans
mesh_terms: D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed