Abstract:
Objective To assess the differential withdrawal rules of tumor target and lymph nodes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) based on ultra-long-term-delayed enhanced MR scanning.
Methods Fifty-three patients with NPC who received radiotherapy at Shandong Cancer Hospital from December 2019 to August 2020 were prospectively observed. MR simulation positioning images, including T2-weighted images (T2WIs), 15-s enhanced T1-weighted images (T1WIs), and 10-min enhanced T1WIs, were obtained before, during, and after radiotherapy. Gross tumor target (GTVp) and positive lymph nodes (GTVn) were delineated on T2WIs. Based on silhouette images of 15-s enhanced T1WI and >10-min enhanced T1WI, areas with fast contrast medium clearance (GTVp fast and GTVn fast) and slow contrast medium clearance (GTVp slow and GTVn slow) were determined, and the effects of withdrawal after radiotherapy in different sub-target areas were analyzed.
Results 1) The withdrawal rates of GTVp after receiving 50Gy radiotherapy and at the end of radiotherapy were 57.37% and 18.61%, respectively, which were lower than 64.52% and 29.66%, respectively, for GTVp fast and significantly higher than 25.21% and 7.55%, respectively, for GTVp low (P<0.05). The withdrawal rates of GTVn, GTVn fast, and GTVn slow also had a similar trend. 2) Before and after radiotherapy, GTVp fast and GTVp and GTVn fast and GTVn volumes were correlated (r=0.872, 0.998; P<0.05). There was no correlation between GTVp slow and GTVp and GTVn slow and GTVn volume change (P<0.05). 3) The GTVp slow volume after radiotherapy increased by 7.55% compared with that after 50 Gy radiotherapy, while the with drawal of GTV, GTVp fast, and GTVp slow was lower than that of lymph nodes.
Conclusions NPC and positive lymph nodes can be divided into sub-regions with fast and slow clearance of contrast media based on ultra-long-term delayed enhanced MR scanning. The withdrawal of different sub-regions and overall target region is significantly asynchronous. When the efficacy of radiotherapy for NPC is evaluated based on volume, different sub-regions should be individually analyzed.