title: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: usefulness of diffusion-weighted MR imaging in the prediction of a neoadjuvant therapeutic effect.
abstract: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of diffusion-weighted imaging in predicting the responses to neoadjuvant therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Diffusion-weighted, T2-weighted, and gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images were obtained from 28 patients with untreated head and neck squamous cell carcinomas with histological proof. A blinded radiologist evaluated the quantitative and qualitative signal intensities and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) in the lesions on each sequence. All patients were treated by neoadjuvant therapies, and the post-therapeutic tumor regression rate was determined. Both the quantitative and qualitative signal intensities on diffusion-weighted images showed positive correlations (r = 0.367 and 0.412, p < .05), and the ADCs showed a weak, inversed correlation (r = -0.384, p < .05) with the tumor regression rates. Diffusion-weighted imaging including an assessment by ADCs may be able to predict tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan. hkato@gifu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanematsu
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuta
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoshi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D018579:Patient Selection; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome