Comparative analysis of clinical and pathological lymph node staging data in HNSCC patients treated at the General Hospital Vienna with results from the literature

Authors

  • Christina Eder-Czembirek Department of cranio, maxillofacial and oral surgery; Medical University Vienna
  • Birgit Erlacher Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Phoniatry, Hospital of Merciful Brothers Vienna
  • Dietmar Thurnher University Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology and Phoniatry, Medical University of Graz
  • Boban M Erovic Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Medical University of Vienna
  • Edgar Selzer University Clinic of Radiotherapy; Medical University of Vienna
  • Michael Formanek Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Phoniatry, Hospital of Merciful Brothers Vienna

Abstract

Objective: Results from publications evaluating discrepancies between clinical staging data in relation to pathological findings demonstrate that a significant number of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients are not correctly staged. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze potential discrepancies of radiological assessment versus pathological data of regional lymph node involvement and to compare the results with data published in the literature.

Study design: In a retrospective analysis we focused on patients with HNSCC routinely treated by surgery plus PORT between 2002 and 2012.

Setting: For inclusion, complete pre-operative clinical staging information with lymph node status and patho-histological information on involved lymph node regions as well as survival outcome data were mandatory.

Subjects and Methods: We included 87 patients (UICC stage III-IV 90.8%) for which the aforementioned criteria obtained by CT or MRI were available.Overall survival rates were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method. The Pearson correlation coefficient and Spearman`s rank correlation coefficient (non-linear relationship) was calculated.

Results: Discrepancies at the level of overall tumor stage assessment were noticed in 27.5% of all cases. Thereof, 5.7% were assigned to patho-histological up-staging or down-staging of the primary tumor. At the lymph node level, 11.5 % of the patients were downstaged, and 10.3% were upstaged.

Conclusion: Our results show that in approximately one-fifth (21.8%) of the patients, lymph node assessment by CT or MRI differs from the pathologic staging, an outcome that corresponds well with those published by several other groups in this field.

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Published

2018-05-23

How to Cite

Eder-Czembirek, C., Erlacher, B., Thurnher, D., Erovic, B. M., Selzer, E., & Formanek, M. (2018). Comparative analysis of clinical and pathological lymph node staging data in HNSCC patients treated at the General Hospital Vienna with results from the literature. Radiology and Oncology, 52(2). Retrieved from https://radioloncol.com/index.php/ro/article/view/3003

Issue

Section

Clinical oncology