Diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with convolutional neural network on narrowband imaging / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the convolutional neural network（CNN） in diagnosing nasopharyngeal carcinoma using endoscopic narrowband imaging. Methods:A total of 834 cases with nasopharyngeal lesions were collected from the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region between 2014 and 2016. We trained the DenseNet201 model to classify the endoscopic images, evaluated its performance using the test dataset, and compared the results with those of two independent endoscopic experts. Results:The area under the ROC curve of the CNN in diagnosing nasopharyngeal carcinoma was 0.98. The sensitivity and specificity of the CNN were 91.90% and 94.69%, respectively. The sensitivity of the two expert-based assessment was 92.08% and 91.06%, respectively, and the specificity was 95.58% and 92.79%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the diagnostic accuracy of CNN and the expert-based assessment （P=0.282, P=0.085）. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the accuracy in discriminating early-stage and late-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma（P=0.382）. The CNN model could rapidly distinguish nasopharyngeal carcinoma from benign lesions, with an image recognition time of 0.1 s/piece. Conclusion:The CNN model can quickly distinguish nasopharyngeal carcinoma from benign nasopharyngeal lesions, which can aid endoscopists in diagnosing nasopharyngeal lesions and reduce the rate of nasopharyngeal biopsy.

Diagnostic value of narrow-band imaging in detection of recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective@#To evaluate the diagnostic value and feasibility of narrow-band imaging in detection of recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).@*Methods@#One thousand three hundred and sixty-four NPC patients who had completed NPC treatment were enrolled. All patients were followed-up with imaging, serological examination of EB virus and nasopharyngeal endoscopy(WL and NBI mode), in which (1) both white light (WL) and NBI modes were done; (2) positive endoscopic patients were given nasopharyngeal biopsy; (3) using histologic finding as criterion standard, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and Yonden′s index of two modes were compared. Kappa index was used to evaluate the consistency between the two modes and pathological results respectively; (4) the positive rates of WL and NBI in patients with early recurrent (stage Ⅰ+ Ⅱ) were compared.@*Results@#A total of 265 cases were suspected as having recurrent lesions by endoscopy in WL mode and 68 cases of them were pathologically diagnosed as having NPC; and 82 cases were suspected as having recurrent lesions by endoscopy in NBI mode and 74 cases of them were pathologically diagnosed as having NPC. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and Yonden′s index of WL mode were 91.89%, 0, 25.09% and -0.0811, respectively, with a kappa of -0.045; the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and Yonden′s index of NBI mode were 100.00%, 95.94%, 97.05% and 0.9594, respectively.@*Conclusion@#NBI has higher sensitivity, specificity, early diagnosis rate and Yonden′s index than WL.

Treatment and outcome of recurrent cervical lymph nodes in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacies of different treatments for recurrent cervical lymph nodes and the factors contributing to prognosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 79 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed, and all cases were diagnosed as having recurrent cervical lymph nodes by pathological examination. The factors including sex, age, the interval between completion of radiotherapy and recurrence, rN stage, treatment methods, and the location relationship between recurrent lesion and primary tumor in the neck were analyzed for prognosis. Kaplan-Meier curves, Log-rank test and Cox's proportional hazards regression mode were used in the statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median recurrence time was 26 months, and the 1- , 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 77.9%, 53.4% and 39.7%. Cox's proportional hazards regression mode analysis indicated that age, rN stage, treatment methods, and the location relationship between recurrent lesion and primary tumor were significantly prognostic factors.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Neck dissection is superior to re-radiotherapy in treatment of recurrent cervical lymph nodes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy. The patients younger than 45 years old, in early rN stage and for recurrence in the center region of primary tumor have a better prognosis.</p>

Analyses of therapeutic and prognostic factors for rN3 neck recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma after primary radiotherapy / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the treatment and prognosis for rN3 neck recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after primary radiotherapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 37 cases with rN3 neck recurrence after radiotherapy in NPC between October 2003 and August 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Of them 19 cases presented with lymph node (LN) metastasis in supraclavicular fossa, 18 cases had metastasis LN > 6 cm, 10 cases received chemoradiotherapy, and 27 cases underwent neck dissection including modified radical neck dissection (MRND) for 9 cases, radical neck dissection (RND) for 18 cases. Six of 18 cases with RND underwent reconstructive surgery with pectoralis major flap, 12 cases received postoperative radiotherapy and 20 cases had postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Eight patients had documented recurrence or residue, 17 patients developed distant metastases, one patient showed recurrence and distant metastasis. The 5-year overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate were 27.5% and 21.6% respectively, and the median survival time was 41 months. The survival rate in surgery group was significantly higher than that in chemoradiotherapy group, and the prognosis of patients with LN > 6 cm was better than that of patients with metastasis LN to supraclavicular fossa.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Patients with rN3 NPC are prone to metastasis, and patients with supraclavicular fossa lymph node metastasis had poor prognosis. Surgery combined with chemoradiotherapy is an effective treatment for the patients without distant metastasis.</p>

The value of narrow band imaging laryngoscope for laryngopharyngeal reflux disease / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the value of narrow-band imaging (NBI) laryngoscope for the diagnosis and therapy of the laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD).@*METHOD@#Analyzed the NBI laryngoscope characteristic findings of the throats of 46 LPRD patients which confirmed the diagnosis according to the reflux symptom index (RSI) and reflux finding score (RFS) both positive and the proton pump inhibitor therapy effective.@*RESULT@#The NBI laryngoscope findings as follows: erythema and edema between the arytenoid cartilages (71.7%), the epiglottis congestion (67.4%), pharyngeal isolation/integration erythema (65.2%), pharyngeal pebbles--like changes (65.2%), hypertrophy of the posterior commissure (52.2%), vocal cord erythema and edema (47.8%), vocal nodules or vocal polyps with erythema, or edema (39.1%), arytenoid cartilages edema and erythema (21.7%), ventricular edema, erythema and laryngeal ventricle disappeared (17.4%), granuloma (6.5%), ulcers (4.3%), false vocal cord ditch (4.3%).@*CONCLUSION@#LPRD has characteristic findings. NBI laryngoscope is easy to operate and has a high value on the diagnosis and the treatment of the LPRD.

Effect of p53 gene therapy on the local immunity and the efficacy of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the tumor regression and local immune function in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with p53 gene therapy.@*METHOD@#The two-step immunohistochemical was done to detect the expression of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) T-cell receptor-CD3, CD4, CD8 and B cell receptor-CD20 in the primary tumor tissue of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Nasal endoscopy with MRI or CT was used for evaluation of tumor size.@*RESULT@#The expression of CD3, CD4, CD8 was significantly increased after p53 gene treatment (P 0.05). In conventional treatment group, CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD20 (P > 0.05) did not show any significant difference. In gene therapy group at 3 months after treatment, 20 patients had achieved CR, 10 PR, 1 SD, 1 PD. In conventional treatment group, 11 patients had achieved CR, 12 PR,5 SD,3 PD. The response rate between treatment group and control group (CR+PR) was different (P < 0.05). CD3 and CD4 expression was correlated with tumor regression rate (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and CD8 expression was correlated with the CR rate (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#T cells are the most proliferative cell of TII. in NPC patients after p53 gene therapy The local cellular immune status is positively correlated with tumor regression rate.

A prospective study of surgery combined with concurrent radiochemotherapy in the treatment of patients with early stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical value that surgical treatment with comprehensive treatment in treating early stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma.@*METHOD@#Based on the case selection criteria, patients with early nasopharyngeal carcinoma were divided into surgery group and the conventional group according to patients' wishes. Surgery group were treated with surgery plus Radiochemotherapy as a comprehensive treatment while conventional group were treated with Radiochemotherapy. Outcome indices: (1) 5-year survival rate and 5-year disease-free survival rate; (2) Radiation dose to the nasopharynx; (3) Incidence of xerostomia.@*RESULT@#(1) The overall 5-year follow-up rate was 97.12%; 1 patient was lost to follow-up in surgical group, the 5-year follow-up rate was 96.77%; 2 patients were lost in conventional Group with 5-year rate of 97.26%. (2) The 5-year survival rate of 104 patients was 83.65% (87/104). (3) The 5-year survival rate and 5-year tumor-free survival rate were 96.77% (30/31) and 93.55% (29/31) in surgical group, 78.08% (57/73) and 73.97% (54/73) in conventional group. There were significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.05). (4) The radiation dose to the nasopharynx in surgery group and conventional group were (63.90 +/- 5.56) Gy and (71.48 +/- 4.18)Gy, respectively; the dose in surgical group was significantly less than the conventional group, there were statistical significance between the two groups. (5) The incidence of xerostomia was significantly less in surgical group (22.58%) than conventional group (65.75%), the difference was statistically significant.@*CONCLUSION@#The surgery combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy is a effective comprehensive therapeutic interchange program for early stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma. These program can increase the long-term survival rate, but also reduce the radiation dose to the nasopharynx and the occurrence of radiation complications. A further aspect is worth consideration.

The relationship between extend types and distant metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the relationship between extend types and distant metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).@*METHOD@#Retrospective analyze 260 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, among which 162 cases were distant metastasis (metastasis group) and 98 cases were neither distant metastasis nor recurrence (disease-free group) over 5 years after radiotherapy. All these patients were staged depending on CT or MRI image before treatment and divided into local-regional type(T(1-2)N(0-1)) for 36 cases and upward invasion type (T(3-4)N(0-1)) for 68 cases and downward invasion type (T(1-2)N(2-3)) for 75 cases and mixed type (T(3-4)N(2-3)) for 81 cases. The differences between two groups was analyzed using Chi-square test.@*RESULT@#The local-regional type and upward invasion type was 25.3% for the metastasis group and 64.3% for the disease-free group. The downward and mixed invasion was 74.7% for the metastasis group and 35.7% for the disease-free group. The rate(proportion) of N(2-3) was significantly higher in metastasis group than in disease-free group with limited extension (84.4% vs. 33.3%, P < 0.01). The rates(proportion) of N(0-1) and N(2-3) were also significantly higher in metastasis group than in disease-free group with severity extension (T(3-4) (60% vs. 36.1% and 68.4% vs. 40%, P < 0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#The extent of cervical lymph node metastases is one of the most important factors of NPC with distant metastasis, severity extension of primary disease should also be in consideration. Even the limitations of primary disease, once cervical lymph node metastasis occurs, the risk of distant metastasis is significantly increased.