Reader performance in the ultrasonographic evaluation of oropharyngeal carcinoma

Oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) is the most common head and neck cancer in North America [1] and is steadily increasing in incidence [2,3]. HPV-related OPC (HPV-OPC) arises primarily from the lymphoid-associated epithelia of the palatine tonsils and base of tongue (BOT) and exhibits a high rate of metastasis to cervical lymph nodes [4,5]. Patients with HPV-OPC often present with a persistently enlarged neck node, unaware of a small primary tumor present in the oropharynx [6]. HPV-OPCs are difficult to assess clinically due to their small size, and the anatomic topology of the oropharynx [6 –11].

Source: Oral Oncology - December 29, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Farhoud Faraji, Ericka S. Padilla, Dana Blitz, Meghan B. Wenderoth, Ray G. Blanco, Satomi Kawamoto, Sheila Sheth, Ulrike M. Hamper, Carole Fakhry Source Type: research