PET-CT staging of the neck in cancers of the oropharynx: patterns of regional and retropharyngeal nodal metastasis.
OBJECTIVE
To study the retropharyngeal lymph node status (RPLN) by pretreatment PET-CT imaging in patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx (OPSCC).


METHODS
Retrospective.


METHODS
101 patients with a biopsy proven OPSCC were identified. 53 patients meeting inclusion criteria were further analyzed.


RESULTS
The frequency of RPLN was 20.8% (11/53). Advanced T stage cancer (OR = 5.6250, 95% CI: 1.06 - 29.80, p = 0.0410) and advanced clinical N stage cancer (i.e. N2+) had higher odds (OR = 3.9773, 95% CI: 0.9628 - 16.4291) of being RPLN positive as compared to N0-1 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Pre-treatment PET-CT can be used as a staging tool to aid in treatment planning of OPSCC, as rates of RPLN and nodal metastasis are consistent with those reported in the literature. Advanced T and N stage are associated with a greater odds ratio of being RPLN positive by PET-CT imaging.
Tauzin
Marcie
M
Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Rabalais
Amy
A
Hagan
Joseph L
JL
Wood
Charles G
CG
Ferris
Robert L
RL
Walvekar
Rohan R
RR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18