Prediction of the Role of Definitive Surgical or Chemoradiation Therapy in Laryngeal and Laryngopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction: Head and Neck squamous cell carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Laryngeal carcinoma is the second most common malignancy of the head and neck. Hypopharyngeal carcinoma is relatively uncommon, it accounts approximately 10 % of all proximal aerodigestive tract malignancies. Aims:The present study was designed to monitor the treatment response, local recurrence or residual with definitive surgical or chemoradiation therapy in laryngeal and laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma by using a recent technique, the diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) which has been proposed as a valuable tool in characterization of tumors in the head & neck regions.Several imaging modalities have been proposed for monitoring treatment response to chemoradiation and surgery. One of them is DWI which is of value as an early non invasive and clinically applicable method (Koh et al., 2007). Methods: Sixty patients diagnosed as laryngeal or laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. will be divided into two groups, 1st group (30) patients will receive chemoradiation therapy with diffusion weighted MR imaging parameters is done before, 2 weeks and 3 months after the start of the treatment. Results: For the 1st group, the response to chemoradiotherapy was evaluated by the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) before and after treatment. The ADC value was correlated with the different types of response according to RECIST criteria. Conclusion: DWI is proved to be a very good, non invasive and useful parameter for monitoring the treatment response to CRT or surgery in patients with laryngeal and/or hypopharyngeal SCC.