Thoracic imaging biomarkers and head and neck cancer outcomes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Influence of thoracic imaging biomarkers on head and neck cancer outcomes
IRAS ID
321535
Contact name
Seamus Culshaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Research & Innovation
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
Head and neck (H&N) cancer represents the UK’s 15th most common cause of cancer death with a 5-year survival of around 28–67%.
Once it has been diagnosed, a CT (computed tomography) scan is routinely undertaken to look for disease spread (including the chest).
Patients can be difficult to manage, and outcomes poor due to additional illnesses unrelated to the cancer (comorbidity). These include emphysema (permanent lung tissue destruction, usually from smoking) causing breathlessness, and coronary artery calcification (hard/fatty material on the inner walls of blood vessels) which increases heart attack risk. These can show on a CT scan and are often significant in the H&N cancer population. Patients are also at increased risk of lung cancer from the smoking.
Emerging in H&N cancer management are biomarkers: biological molecules found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues, which indicate a normal or abnormal process, or a condition or disease.
Advances in diagnostic imaging technologies have yielded “imaging biomarkers”: anatomic, physiologic, biochemical, or molecular parameters detectable with medical imaging and used to establish disease presence or severity. Such advances have aided cancer management, precipitating into an important tool in early disease detection and predicting disease outcomes.
There is little evidence for the potential role of imaging biomarkers reflecting comorbidity on standard chest CT scans to predict H&N cancer outcomes. This study will examine chest CT scans among patients with H&N cancer, extracting features for correlation with patient outcome, including pulmonary emphysema quantification and coronary artery calcification estimation. Additional information will be extracted regarding coexistent lung nodules or masses which may indicate avenues for potential future research.
If we can show a strong relationship between these imaging biomarkers and patient outcome, they may have a role in supporting decision making and treating disease. This could potentially be a subject of future research.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
23/SS/0100
Date of REC Opinion
30 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion