Prognostic Value of ¹⁸F-Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

ObjectiveThe aim of the study is to investigate the value of pretreatment integrated positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) in predicting the prognosis of patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC).MethodsTwenty-one untreated patients with HSCC who underwent PET/MRI before treatment were enrolled. We analyzed the value of PET/MRI parameters in predicting the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of HSCC patients. Kaplan-Meier method and log rank test were used to perform univariate survival analysis, whereas Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to perform multivariate analysis.ResultsOf the 21 patients with a median follow-up time of 20.3 months (range, 4.2-37.6 months), 2 (9.5%) had local recurrence, 2 (9.5%) had distant metastases, and 8 (38.1%) died because of cancer. Univariate analysis showed that T stage, clinical stage, total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) were significant prognostic factors for PFS (P < 0.05). T stage, clinical stage, TLG, MTV, the mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC(mean)), and the minimal apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC(min)) were significant prognostic factors for OS (P < 0.05). The Cox proportional hazard regression model revealed that MTV was an independent prognostic factor for PFS, and TLG was an independent prognostic factor for OS (P < 0.05).ConclusionsMetabolic tumor volume was an independent predictor of PFS in patients with HSCC, while TLG was an independent predictor of OS. T stage, clinical stage, ADC(mean), and ADC(min) are potential prognostic indicators for HSCC. Positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging can provide effective information for predicting the prognosis for HSCC patients.