The role of thoracic computed tomography in staging newly-diagnosed oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Patients who present with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the head and neck have a serious risk of coincident thoracic malignancy. The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of thoracic malignancy in newly diagnosed, previously untreated, oral and oro-pharyngeal SCC, and to evaluate the role of thoracic computed tomography (CT) in its management. Of 116 consecutive patients who were identified prospectively 81(70%) had oral and 35 (30%) oropharyngeal SCC. Ten patients (9%) had suspicious thoracic CT findings. After investigation or follow up, four (3.5%) of these patients were shown to have coincident thoracic malignancies. This large prospective series of newly diagnosed oral and oropharyngeal SCC had a lower incidence of coincident thoracic malignancy than had previously been shown.
Keith
D J W
DJ
Sunderland Royal Hospital, Kayll Road, Sunderland SR4 7TP, UK. djwkeith@tinyworld.co.uk
Ong
T K
TK
Martin
I C
IC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods