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Diagnostic Performance of Response Assessment FDG-PET/CECT in HNSCC Treated With Definitive Radio(chemo)therapy Using
Sonz Paul1, Tejpal Gupta1, Nilendu Purandare2
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH)/Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, India.
Objective:
To assess the diagnostic performance of response assessment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/contrast-enhanced computed tomography (FDG-PET/CECT) following definitive radio(chemo)therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using Neck Imaging Reporting and Data System (NI-RADS).
Study Design:
A retrospective analysis from a prospectively maintained dataset.
Setting:
Tertiary-care comprehensive cancer center in a low-middle-income country.
Methods:
Adults with newly diagnosed, biopsy-proven, nonmetastatic HNSCC treated with definitive radio(chemo)therapy were included. Posttreatment response assessment FDG-PET/CECT scans were retrospectively assigned NI-RADS categories (1-3) for the primary site, neck, and both sites combined. Locoregional recurrence occurring within 2-years was defined as the event of interest. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and overall accuracy were calculated. Locoregional control stratified by NI-RADS categories was computed with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test.
Results:
Posttreatment FDG-PET/CECT scans were available in 190 patients constituting the present study cohort. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and overall accuracy of the NI-RADS template for the primary site was 73.5%, 81.4%, 46.3%, 93.4%, and 80.0%, respectively. Similar metrics for the neck were 72.7%, 87.5%, 43.2%, 96.1%, and 85.8%, respectively. Combining primary site and neck, the corresponding metrics of diagnostic accuracy were 84.4%, 69.7%, 46.3%, 93.5%, and 73.2%, respectively. At a median follow-up of 40 months, Kaplan-Meier estimates of 2-year locoregional control were significantly higher for NI-RADS category 1 (94.2%) compared to NI-RADS category 2 (69.4%) and category 3 (20.4%), respectively (stratified log-rank p < .0001).
Conclusion:
FDG-PET/CECT using the NI-RADS template is associated with good diagnostic performance and prognostic utility in HNSCC treated with definitive radio(chemo)therapy.
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