Radiologic extranodal spread and matted nodes: Important predictive factors for development of distant metastases in patients with high-risk head and neck cancer.

Background: Different clinical high-risk factors for the development of distant metastases have been identified but not tested in the same cohort of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: In 145 patients with previously identified clinical high risk factors, the presence of extranodal spread (ENS) and matted node on pretreatment CT (n = 96) and/or MRI (n = 111) were determined.

Results: Of 145 patients, ENS was detected in 87 patients (60.0%) and matted nodes in 53 patients (36.6%). Kaplan-Meier curves for presence or absence of ENS (on CT and/or MRI) and matted nodes (on CT) differ significantly. In a Cox regression analysis, only ENS was a significant risk factor (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.0-5.5; p < .001).

Conclusion: In patients with high-risk HNSCC with clinically (palpably or radiologically) ENS and matted nodes, both determined radiologically, are high risk factors for development of distant metastases. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1452-E1458, 2016.