Patterns of Discordance Between Clinical and Pathologic Stage in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Like other malignancies, treatment and prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is highly dependent on TNM staging. Clinical TN staging (cTN), which is established during the primary workup, helps guide initial treatment but is limited by the quality of physical examination and imaging studies. Pathologic TN staging (pTN) is determined from collected specimens if surgical resection occurs and is considered the gold standard for staging. Previous studies have shown discordance between cTN and pTN, likely due to the limitations of clinical staging.
Source: International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: 216 Source Type: research