title: Prognostic value of computed tomography characteristics for overall survival in patients with maxillary cancer.
abstract: Our aim was to identify the preoperative computed tomographic (CT) characteristics most efficient in predicting overall survival (OS) of patients with maxillary cancer (MC).
  
  
  
  A retrospective review of CT images was performed in 115 patients with histopathologically confirmed primary MC from January 2005 to December 2013, who were classified into 2 subtypes (epithelial and non-epithelial) according to tissue of origin. The prognostic value of CT characteristics for OS was determined firstly through univariate Kaplan-Meier survival estimates with log-rank tests. Significant predictors were further tested with multivariable Cox proportional hazard models.
  
  
  
  CT characteristics predictive of OS in univariate survival analysis were long and short diameter of the mass, long and short diameter of the largest cervical lymph node and adjacent soft tissue infiltration (P < 0.05). In the multivariable Cox analyses, the significantly independent predictors were long diameter of mass ≥ 4.2 cm (hazard ratio [HR] 1.8; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.1-3.0) and short diameter of the largest lymph node ≥ 7 mm (HR 1.9; 95 % CI 1.0-3.6) for all MC patients, as well as for non-epithelial MC patients (HR 3.1; 95 % CI 1.2-8.0; HR 3.3; 95 % CI 1.3-8.7, respectively).
  
  
  
  Preoperative CT characteristics of tumor size, lymph node size and adjacent structure infiltration are predictive of the OS time of MC patients. The information brought up in this study could be used in clinical practice to inform about the possible prognosis, and be beneficial to clinical decision making.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China.
authors.forename: Jingbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China.
authors.forename: Yingwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Guojun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China. cjr.taoxiaofeng@vip.163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Cancer; Computed tomography; Maxilla; Overall survival