Study: Chest Scans can Help Monitor Head and Neck Cancer Spread

Chest scans can help keep a check on head and neck cancer progression in high-risk patients, according to researchers from Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan.

Chest X-rays are the most commonly used screening tool for detecting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, which accounts for most head and neck cancers.

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For the study, the research team led by Dr Yen-Bin Hsu evaluated 270 screening chest CT scans performed over 42 months in 192 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The scans were categorized as new cases, follow-up cases or recurrent cases, and results classified as normal or abnormal.

Of the 270 scans, 79 were considered abnormal, including 54 that identified a malignant neoplasm of the lung and 25 showing indeterminate abnormalities.

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"The rate of an abnormal scan was significantly higher in the follow-up case group (44.2 percent) than in the new case group (14.2 percent)," the authors write.

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"Indeterminate lesions were common on chest CT in our study, and special attention should be paid to them," the authors write.

"Based on the progressive changes in follow-up scans, 44 percent of indeterminate lesions were eventually considered a malignant neoplasm of the lung.

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"We also found that small (less than 1 centimeter) solitary nodules, which were usually resectable [operable], carried significantly higher chances (66.7 percent) of being a malignant neoplasm.

"For patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, chest diagnosis is crucial and may influence their treatment plan," they continue.

The researchers suggest chest CT for high-risk patients after every six months for the first two years during the follow-up period.

The study appears in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Source-ANI
RAS/SK