Quantitative Metastatic Lymph Node Regions on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Are Superior to AJCC N Classification for the Prognosis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Table 2
Correlation between LRN and other nodal characteristics.
Variable
LRN
P
0-1
2~6
≥7
N classification (AJCC )
<0.001
N0-1
78 (100%)
99 (55.0%)
0
N2
0
55 (30.6%)
32 (33.3%)
N3
0
26 (14.4%)
64 (66.7%)
SCF involvement
<0.001
SCF (-)
78 (100%)
176 (97.8%)
65 (67.7%)
SCF (+)
0
4 (2.2%)
31 (32.3%)
Lower neck involvement
Lower neck (-)
78 (100%)
162 (90.0%)
35(36.5%)
Lower neck (+)
0
18 (10.0%)
61 (63.5%)
Laterality
<0.001
Nil
65 (83.3%)
2 (1.1%)
0
Unilateral
13 (16.7)
112 (62.2%)
7 (7.3%)
Bilateral
0
66 (36.7%)
89 (92.7%)
MLD
<0.001
≤ 6cm
78 (100%)
168 (93.3%)
77 (80.2%)
> 6cm
0
12 (6.7%)
19 (19.8%)
ECE
<0.001
Negative
75 (96.2%)
85 (47.2%)
17 (17.7%)
Positive
3 (3.8%)
95 (52.8%)
79 (82.3%)
Nodal necrosis
<0.001
Negative
74 (94.9%)
104 (57.8%)
33(34.4%)
Positive
4 (5.1%)
76 (42.2%)
63 (65.6%)
Abbreviations: LRN: number of involved lymph node regions; AJCC: American Joint Committee on Cancer; MLD: maximal lymph node diameter; SCF: supraclavicular fossa; ECE: extracapsular extension.
