Tongue carcinoma: tumor volume measurement.
OBJECTIVE
To validate the semiautomated methods of tongue carcinoma tumor volume measurement by comparing the conventional manual trace method with 2 semiautomated computer methods: seed growing and region deformation.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 16 patients with histology-proven tongue carcinoma. Two head-and-neck radiologists independently measured the tumor volume demonstrated on pretreatment T2-weighted magnetic resonance data sets. The tumor volumes were measured using manual tracing and semiautomated seed growing and region deformation algorithm. Data were recorded for analysis of interoperator variance and interobserver reliability at volume and pixel levels.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the manually traced volume and semiautomated segmentation volumes for both operators. No significant difference was found in interobserver variance among the 3 methods at volume level. However, there was significant difference between manual tracing and semiautomated segmentation methods in interobserver reliability at pixel level.


CONCLUSIONS
The semiautomated methods could achieve satisfactory segmentation results. They could also reduce interoperator variance and obtain a higher interobserver reliability. This study validates the use of semiautomated volume measurement methods for tongue carcinoma.
Chong
Vincent F H
VF
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Republic of Singapore. gdrcfh@sgh.com.sg
Zhou
Jia-Yin
JY
Khoo
James B K
JB
Huang
Jing
J
Lim
Tuan-Kay
TK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D015588:Observer Variation; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*