Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in evaluating lymph node status in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: The presence of cervical lymph node metastases (CLNM) at diagnosis is one of the most relevant negative prognostic factors in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The aim of this study was to analyse 2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) PET/CT findings for the identification of primary tumours and CLNM in a sample of patients affected by HNSCC. Moreover, a maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) threshold for the detection of CLNM was estimated. Clinical variables (i.e. smoking and alcohol habits), and tumour features (i.e. EBV and HPV positivity) were also evaluated in relation to FDG PET/CT findings. Methods: We retrospectively analysed patients who underwent FDG PET/CT for HNSCC staging between 2015-2020 at the University Hospital of Ferrara. All patients had cytological or histological confirmation of suspected cervical lymph nodes. Results: In total, 65 patients were enrolled (53 males, 12 females, median age 65.7 years). CLNM of patients with smoking habit had significantly higher SUVmax values than those of patients with previous smoking habit and non-smokers (p = 0.04). p16 positive HNSCC demonstrated a trend for higher SUVmax values on CLNM, in comparison to p16 negative tumours (p = 0.089). ROC curve analysis identified 5.8 as the best cut-off value of SUVmax for the detection of CLNM (AUC = 0.62, sensitivity 71.4% and specificity 72.7%). Conclusions: FDG PET/CT is a useful tool to evaluate CLNM in patients with HNSCC, particularly in those with smoking habit and p16 positive disease. A SUVmax cut-off of 5.8, combined with the use of conventional radiological investigations, may represent a useful tool in the identification of CLNM.

Can the addition of radiotherapy postoperatively increase clinical outcome of patients with gastric cancer? A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have been carried out to determine the best treatment for gastric carcinoma, the data on survival rate still remain inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of postoperative radio-chemotherapy on overall and disease-free survival. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE and CANCERLIT searches of reference lists (for the period 1970 to 2016) were supplemented with hand search of reference lists. STUDY SELECTION: The present work includes randomized controlled trials comparing postoperative radio-chemotherapy to postoperative chemotherapy or to surgery alone in patients with resected gastric carcinoma without evidence of metastatic disease. Ten randomized controlled trials were analyzed in total: four compared postoperative radiochemotherapy to surgery alone (708 patients), and six compared postoperative radiochemotherapy to postoperative chemotherapy (1020 patients). DATA EXTRACTION: According to "intention to treat" method, three independent observers have extracted from each trial, the data on patients, intervention, and outcomes. These data were subsequently combined using DerSimonian and Laird methods. RESULTS: Postoperative radiochemotherapy significantly increases 3-year and 5-year overall survival and 3-year and 5-year disease free survival rate compared to postoperative chemotherapy (RR 0.89; 95%CI 0.81-0.97 and RR 0.82; 95%CI 0.71-0.95) or surgery alone (RR 0.83; 95% CI 0.77-0.91 and RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.65-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with resected gastric cancer, postoperative radiochemotherapy obtains: 1) an increase in overall survival, 2) an increase in disease free survival, and 3) a gain in 5 year disease free survival independent of surgical procedure.