EVALUATION STUDY
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography after primary transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Laryngoscope 2017 September
OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To assess the first post-treatment positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in prediction of disease-free survival after primary transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) with or without adjuvant chemoradiation.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review.

METHODS: Ninety-five patients with OPSCC treated with primary TORS from 2010 to 2014 at a single tertiary academic center were evaluated with PET/CT. Imaging was performed between 2 and 7 months after completing all treatment. Radiology findings were categorized as 1) negative, noting either complete resolution of foci without evidence of disease or anatomical changes likely attributed to treatment; 2) equivocal, noting equal likelihood of malignancy versus treatment-related changes; or 3) positive, noting either findings concerning for malignancy or new hyperactivity not attributed to treatment-related changes. The median follow-up time was 31 months (range, 23-63 months). Recurrence was defined as biopsy-proven invasive malignancy or clinical suspicion sufficient to initiate treatment occurring within 3 years of the completion of all treatment.

RESULTS: Of 95 total patients with at least 2 years of follow-up records, 26 had positive post-treatment PET/CT results, with five experiencing actual recurrences. Of 69 patients with negative post-treatment PET/CT results, none experienced recurrences. These results indicate a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 77%, positive predictive value of 19%, and negative predictive value of 100%.

CONCLUSIONS: A majority of TORS patients (73%) will have a negative first post-treatment PET/CT. A single negative post-treatment PET/CT is strongly correlated with 2-year disease-free survival in patients treated with primary TORS and may warrant decreased surveillance imaging.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 127:2050-2056, 2017.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

Related Resources

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app