metastases – Page 2 – Oral Cancer News

Journal of Nuclear Medicine: 18F-FDG PET+CT cost-effective in screening head and neck cancer patients

Source: www.healthimaging.com Author: staff Whole-body 18F-FDG PET combined with chest CT is cost-effective in pretreatment screening for distant metastases in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with risk factors, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The presence of distant metastases at initial evaluation influences the prognosis and the treatment choice in HNSCC patients and hybrid PET/CT scanners was superior in sensitivity and cost effective when compared to FDG PET and CT alone, according to Otto S. Hoekstra, MD, PhD, of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. In the study, 145 patients underwent chest CT and whole-body 18F-FDG PET for screening of distant metastases. The researchers analyzed the cost data of 80 patients in whom distant metastases developed or who had a follow-up of at least 12 months. Hoekstra said that cost-effectiveness analysis, including sensitivity analysis, was performed to compare the results of 18F-FDG PET, CT and a combination of CT and 18F-FDG PET. Hoekstra and colleagues identified distant metastases in 21 percent of patients by pretreatment screening. According to Hoekstra and colleagues, CT plus 18F-FDG PET had the highest sensitivity of 63 percent, while 18F-FDG PET had a sensitivity of 53 percent versus 37 percent with CTand positive predictive value of 80 percent versus 75 percent with CT. “CT + 18F-FDG PET resulted in savings between €203 ($303) and €604 ($903) ”, wrote Hoekstra and colleagues. The average costs in the CT + 18F-FDG PET group was found [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-02-23T12:55:19-07:00February, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Floor of the mouth cancer requires more aggressive treatment to prevent metastases

Source: www.docguide.com Author: Louise Gagnon More aggressive management of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the floor of the mouth has decreased the number of failures in local, regional, and distant metastases, according to a retrospective chart review presented here at the 2nd World Congress of the International Academy of Oral Oncology (IAOO). In the study, a total of 142 treatment-naïve patients with newly diagnosed floor of mouth cancer received treatment with curative intent from 1994 through 2004 at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. About a third of patients received postoperative radiation, explained lead author Jane Lea, MD, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Toronto/Princess Margaret Hospital. The researches wanted to review outcomes and assess any predictive information of survival in patients, noted Dr. Lea. "We wanted to determine clinical and pathological prognosticators of survival," Dr. Lea told attendees at an oral abstract session on July 9. The primary mode of treatment was surgery, with the majority (91%) of those undergoing surgery undergoing neck dissections, noted Dr. Lea. Overall 5-year survival was 68%, and 5-year cause-specific survival was 80%. Mortality due to floor of mouth disease was 14%, and failures were reported in 24 patients. Researchers compared the outcome of this chart review to previously published reviews on the management of SCC of the floor of mouth and found more aggressive management, characterised by increased rates of neck dissections, in their practice compared with management of the condition in the 1970s and 1980s. The more [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-21T20:05:37-07:00July, 2009|OCF In The News|

Periodic CT detects pulmonary metastases among head and neck cancer patients

Source: CancerConsultants.com Author: staff Among patients with head and neck cancer who are at a high risk for metastases, periodic computed tomography (CT) scans can be highly effective for detecting pulmonary metastases. Head and neck cancers originate in the oral cavity (lip, mouth, tongue), salivary glands, paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity, pharynx (upper back part of the throat), larynx (voice box), and lymph nodes in the upper part of the neck. Worldwide, head and neck cancer is diagnosed in approximately 640,000 people annually and is responsible for approximately 350,000 deaths each year. Some patients with head and neck cancer are at a higher risk of developing cancer spread (metastasis). One of the common places of metastasis is to the lung, referred to as pulmonary metastasis. Researchers continue to evaluate ways in which to detect metastasis so that detection and treatment may occur in its earliest phases. Researchers from Taiwan recently conducted a clinical study to evaluate the effectiveness of chest CT scans in early detection of pulmonary metastases among patients with head and neck cancer. This trial included 192 patients over nearly 4 years, during which time CT scans of the chest were intermittently performed. Approximately one-third of patients had abnormal chest CT scans. Nearly 70% of patients with an abnormal scan ultimately demonstrated disease progression. The researchers concluded that patients with head and neck cancer who are at a high risk of developing pulmonary metastases may benefit from intermittent chest CT scans for early detection of pulmonary metastases. Patients with [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2008-10-29T06:46:41-07:00October, 2008|Oral Cancer News|