Classification of three prognostically different groups of head and neck cancer patients based on their metabolic response to induction chemotherapy (IC-1).

There exist no uniform decision criteria for conservative organ preservation treatments in head and neck cancer patients. Even with Decrease in SUVmax in Residual SUVmax (resSUVmax) values were uniformly distributed across five cut-off levels (0-0.2 vs. >0.2-0.4 vs. >0.4-0.6 vs. >0.6-0.8 vs. >0.8) containing 20%, 25% 25%, 15% and 15% of patients. Patients were stratified into three response categories according to residual SUVmax (Group A: 0-0.4 = high response Group B: >0.4-0.8 = moderate response, Group C > 0.8 = non-response), 5-year local control rates were 90.5% (Group A) vs. 78.9% (Group B; univariate p = 0.07, multivariate: HR: 3.6, p = 0.03) vs. 49.4% (Group C vs. B; univariate p = 0.04, multivariate: HR 5.5, p < 0.01). After IC-1, Group A received chemoradiotherapy (CRT) only. Group B received surgery plus either (chemo)radiotherapy (B_S + RT/CRT) or chemoradiotherapy (B_CRT), yielding local control rates of 100% and 74.2% (p = 0.11). Group C received surgery plus CRT or CRT alone; both achieved equally poor local control (p = 0.71). Group C had significantly worse distant metastasis-free survival and overall survival than Groups A and B (p < 0.05). Metabolic response after IC-1 differentiates HNC patients into three subgroups predicting local tumor control. Non-response was associated with a poor outcome.

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