Affiliation:
1. Department of Radiation Oncology Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), University of Montreal Montreal Quebec Canada
2. Department of Radiation Oncology Institut du Cancer de Montpellier Montpellier France
3. Department of Radiology Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), University of Montreal Montreal Quebec Canada
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundWe investigated the incidence and predictive factors of retropharyngeal lymph node (RPLN) metastases in patients with oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) undergoing multimodality treatment planning imaging before radiotherapy.MethodsConsecutive patients with OPC treated with curative‐intent radiotherapy from 2017 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment planning comprised contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and fluorodeoxyglucose‐positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) unless contraindicated.ResultsOf 300 patients, 66 (22%) had radiological evidence of RPLN involvement on planning images, compared to 17 (6%) on diagnostic CT alone. On multivariate analysis, RPLN involvement was statistically (p < 0.05) associated with tonsil, soft palate, and posterior pharyngeal wall primaries, and with disease extension to the soft palate or vallecula.ConclusionsMultimodality treatment planning imaging reveals a high rate of RPLN metastases from OPC compared to diagnostic CT alone. Patients with tonsil, soft palate, or posterior pharyngeal wall primaries or disease extending to the soft palate or vallecula appear at higher risk.