Neuroimaging clinics of North America
-
Neuroimaging Clin. N. Am. · Feb 2013
ReviewPitfalls in the staging of cancer of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Although nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common primary malignancy of the nasopharynx, it is an uncommon malignancy in much of the Western world. Over the last several years, there have been important changes in the terminology used for histologic classification of NPC and important changes to the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging of NPC. Accurate imaging assessment is critical for diagnose, to stage and plan radiation treatment, and for ongoing follow-up and surveillance. This article emphasizes important nasopharyngeal anatomy landmarks and the imaging appearances and pitfalls of NPC, its patterns of spread, and posttreatment appearances.
-
Neuroimaging Clin. N. Am. · Feb 2013
ReviewPitfalls in the staging of cancer of the major salivary gland neoplasms.
The major salivary glands consist of the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. Most neoplasms in other subsites in the head and neck are squamous cell carcinoma, but tumors of the salivary glands may be benign or malignant. ⋯ The role of imaging is to attempt to determine histology, predict likelihood of a lesion being malignant, and report an imaging stage. This article reviews the various histologies, imaging features, and staging of major salivary gland neoplasms.
-
Cancer staging is how clinicians describe the state of the disease, predict prognosis, help determine best treatment, and interpret outcomes. Although several staging systems are available, the most widely used is the tumor node metastasis (TNM) system developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer. Knowledge of normal anatomy and the myriad appearances of variations in anatomy is the basis of accurate tumor staging. Cross-sectional imaging is complementary to the clinical examination for accurate staging.
-
Lymph nodes status is an important predictor of prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, making accurate staging critical. The physical examination of the neck is highly inaccurate. ⋯ US features help differentiate benign from malignant nodes, aided by US-guided fine-needle aspiration for indeterminate cases. PET-CT is useful for staging the lymph nodes and detection of distant metastasis.