title: Semi-automated primary tumor volume measurements by dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tumor volume is a significant prognostic factor in the treatment of malignant head and neck tumors. Unfortunately, it is not routinely measured because of the workload involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients, between 2009 and 2010, were studied. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) at 3.0T was performed. A workstation previously developed for semi-automated segmentation of breast cancers on DCE-MRI was used to segment the head and neck cancers. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the agreement between volumetric measurements and the manually derived gross tumor volume (GTV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 90.5% of the patients (19 of 21) correlation could be made between DCE-MRI and the manually derived GTV. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the automatically derived tumor volume at DCE-MRI and the manually derived GTVs was R(2) = 0.95 (p < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Semi-automated tumor volumes on DCE-MRI were representative of those derived from the manually derived GTV (R(2) = 0.95; p < .001).
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Oncology and Surgery, The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. w.l.lodder@gmail.com
authors.forename: Wouter L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Lodder
authors.forename: Kenneth G A
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Gilhuijs
authors.forename: Charlotte A H
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Frank A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Pameijer
authors.forename: Alfons J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Balm
authors.forename: Michiel W M
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: van den Brekel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media