Relationships between contrast-enhanced computed tomography features of hard palate cancer and pathological depth of invasion.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the relationships between contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) features of hard palate cancer (radiological depth of invasion [r-DOI], detectability of the lesion, and tumor invasion into the palatal bone) and the pathological DOI (p-DOI) of the tumors.

STUDY DESIGN: In total, 36 lesions were retrospectively evaluated by 2 board-certified radiologists, who examined CECT scans for the radiological features, and 2 board-certified pathologists, who measured the p-DOI on histopathologic sections. Correlation between r-DOI and p-DOI was calculated. The Youden index was used to calculate the optimal p-DOI cutoff values to distinguish between detectable and undetectable lesions and between tumors with and without bony structure invasion.

RESULTS: There was excellent agreement between r-DOI and p-DOI (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.80). The p-DOI of CECT-detectable lesions was significantly greater than that of CECT-undetectable lesions (P < .001), with a p-DOI cutoff value of 4 mm. The p-DOI of lesions that had invaded the palatal bone was significantly larger than that of lesions without invasion (P = .039), with a p-DOI cutoff value of 7 mm.

CONCLUSION: Radiological DOI, tumor detectability, and invasion into the palatal bone can be useful in planning surgical treatment strategies for hard palate cancer.