Bidimensional measurement of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a simple method to predict outcomes

Abstract

When using simple measurement to evaluate nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the bidimensional measurement may be used to measure size at diagnosis. Patients with small bidimensional measurement had better prognosis and fewer recurrences. Bidimensional measurement may be further considered to improve the current staging system.

Clinical application of tumor volume in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma to predict outcome

“…This indicates the limitation of the current TNM staging system based on anatomic location in separation of tumor bulk. Base on previous study, primary tumor volume was found to be a significant prognosis factor for treatment outcome and significantly correlated with T stage [13]. In the current study, additional testing was performed in an attempt to define the critical volume in the advanced NPC.…”

“…Recently, tumor volume has been evaluated as a predictor because of the relationship of large volume with adverse biologic factors, including clonogen number, hypoxia, and radioresistance [11]. Several studies had demonstrated primary tumor volume could improve the current staging system [10-13]. Chua et al found that primary tumor volume is an independent prognostic factor of local control and apparently more predictive than Ho's T stage classification [12].…”

“…Tumor volume definition and measuring protocols should be standardized in clinical practice. Lee et al had tried to use simple measurement to evaluate of primary tumor volume and seemed feasible [13]. Otherwise, although large tumor volume was more commonly observed in the higher stages, there were large variation tumor volume and much overlapping among different stages [10-12].…”

“…However, the current TNM staging system is based on anatomic location and cranial nerve involvement that still has limitations. In addition to well established prognostic factors such as tumor stage, histopathologic type, and cranial nerve involvement, primary tumor volume has been recognized as a promising prognostic indicator in the treatment of NPC [10-13]. Since use of tumor volume could improve the ability of the current staging system to predict outcome, this study aimed to delineate the correlation between tumor volume, treatment outcome and chemotherapy cycles in NPC treated with multimodality therapy.…”

Realizing the Potential of Vascular Targeted Therapy: The Rationale for Combining Vascular Disrupting Agents and Anti-Angiogenic Agents to Treat Cancer

“…As a tumor grows, the pressures exerted on its vascular support network become increasingly severe. When the resultant physiological stresses are coupled with an increasing neoplastic cell burden, it is perhaps not surprising that bulky advanced tumors typically prove particularly difficult to control with conventional anticancer therapies such as radiation treatment (11,126,127), chemotherapy and surgery (50, 122,[128][129][130]. In solid tumors, increases in size are often associated with increases in hypoxic cell fractions (122, 130-135) likely due to size-dependent reductions in tumor blood flow (132,133).…”