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E-ISSN: 3061-9947
The Correlation of Radiological Findings of Parotid Gland with Xerostomia Grade after Radiotherapy of Head and Neck Cancers
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Original Article
VOLUME: 53 ISSUE: 1
P: 29-36
2020

The Correlation of Radiological Findings of Parotid Gland with Xerostomia Grade after Radiotherapy of Head and Neck Cancers

Acta Haematol Oncol Turc 2020;53(1):29-36
DOI: 10.5505/aot.2020.04934
Neslihan Atabek 1
Fevziye İlknur Kayalı 2
Zümrüt Arda Kaymak Çerkeşli 3
Uğur Toprak 4
1. Antalya Education & Research Hospital, Radiation Oncology Clinic, Antalya, Turkey
2. Ankara Numune Education & Research Hospital, Radiation Oncology Clinic, Ankara, Turkey
3. Süleyman Demirel University Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Isparta, Turkey
4. Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Eskişehir, Turkey
5.
No information available.
No information available
Received Date: 2019-12-01T17:48:27
Accepted Date: 2020-04-28T11:05:01
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Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The most common chronic toxicity observed in head and neck cancer after curative definitive and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) is xerostomia. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between clinical xerostomia grade and the magnitude and parenchymal changes in the parotid gland ensuing after RT that is conducted for treating head and neck cancers.

METHODS

Fifty patients with larynx (43, 86%), nasopharynx (3, 6%), and oral cavity tumor (4, 8%), who were treated with 50-70 Gy curative RT in their head and neck regions, participated in the study. Patients were scanned by computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging before and after RT, as well as during the third-month examinations after their treatments. Parotid gland sizes were measured and parotid gland parenchyma were assessed with regards to parotitis by analyzing the images. Xerostomia grading was carried out in accordance with the common toxicity criteria version 2.0 of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Relationships of xerostomia grade with parotid gland size, parenchymal parotitis, stage, operation, total RT dosage, fraction dosage, and concurrent chemotherapy were analyzed.

RESULTS

Twenty-one (42%) patients had grade 1 xerostomia and 29 (58%) patients had grade 2 xerostomia. Compared to Grade 1 xerostomia group; Grade 2 patients were more advanced stage, had less surgery but more concurrent chemotherapy, and had further reduced parotid sizes (p<0.01). Spearman ρ analyses revealed that xerostomia grade had significant positive correlations with stage and presence of concurrent chemotherapy (p<0.001); significant negative correlations with fraction dosage and parotid sizes (p<0.001). However, xerostomia grade did not significantly correlate with presence of radiological parotitis (p>0.05).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Reduction in the parotid gland sizes after RT treatment is correlated with xerostomia grade. However, radiological parotitis condition may not indicate the grade of clinical xerostomia.