Discordant Responses Between Imaging Examination and Surgical Pathology of Head and Heck Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Combined With Chemotherapy

Background: We here investigated the value of imaging examination in evaluating tumor remission-based surgery in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), who had undergone neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy (NICC).

Methods: HNSCC patients who underwent NICC and surgery from May 2021 to September 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had to undergo imaging examination evaluation, including enhanced computed tomography (CT) and enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before and after NICC. Data related to clinical parameters, complete response of the primary site (PrCR), complete response of the primary site and the lymph node (PLCR), complete response of the lymph node (LCR), and tumor response (TR), were gathered. The paired Chi-square test and t-test were conducted to analyze the differences in responses between imaging examination and pathology. Binary logistic regression was applied to analyze the relevant clinical factors of differences in responses.

Results: In total, data of 41 patients were included in this study. Significant discordant responses were observed between enhanced CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and pathology in PrCR (4.9%, 7.3% vs. 41.5%), LCR (12.2%, 7.3% vs. 53.7%), PLCR (0%, 0% vs. 31.7%), and TR (severe 29.3%,17.1% vs. 25.61%) (P < 0.05). Patients with hypopharyngeal cancer (odds ratio (OR): 7.04), oral cancer (OR: 3.64), higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (OR: 2.05), and earlier T stage (OR: 0.71) exhibited a larger response difference between enhanced CT and pathology. Patients with younger age (OR: 0.79) hypopharyngeal cancer (OR: 22.81), oral cancer (OR: 2.65), higher NLR (OR: 19.47), and earlier T stage (OR: 0.29) exhibited a larger response difference between enhanced MR and pathology.

Conclusions: Discordant responses were noted between the imaging examination and surgical pathology of HNSCC after NICC. Hypopharyngeal cancer, higher NLR, and earlier T stage may predict a higher response difference.