Radiomics strategies for risk assessment of tumour failure in head-and-neck cancer

Quantitative extraction of high-dimensional mineable data from medical images is a process known as radiomics. Radiomics is foreseen as an essential prognostic tool for cancer risk assessment and the quantification of intratumoural heterogeneity. In this work, 1615 radiomic features (quantifying tumour image intensity, shape, texture) extracted from pre-treatment FDG-PET and CT images of 300 patients from four different cohorts were analyzed for the risk assessment of locoregional recurrences (LR) and distant metastases (DM) in head-and-neck cancer. Prediction models combining radiomic and clinical variables were constructed via random forests and imbalance-adjustment strategies using two of the four cohorts. Independent validation of the prediction and prognostic performance of the models was carried out on the other two cohorts (LR: AUC = 0.69 and CI = 0.67; DM: AUC = 0.86 and CI = 0.88). Furthermore, the results obtained via Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated the potential of radiomics for assessing the risk of specific tumour outcomes using multiple stratification groups. This could have important clinical impact, notably by allowing for a better personalization of chemo-radiation treatments for head-and-neck cancer patients from different risk groups.Comment: (1) Paper: 33 pages, 4 figures, 1 table; (2) SUPP info: 41 pages, 7 figures, 8 table

Myoepithelial carcinoma of the temporal muscle: a rare entity presenting in an unusual location

We present the first-ever description of a myoepithelial carcinoma arising in the temporal muscle. A 54-year-old fireman presented with a 3-month history of a lump in the right temporal region. Imaging reported a 3 cm lesion in the temporal muscle, eroding the cranial vault. The patient underwent en bloc resection of the lesion, along with overlying skin, dura mater resection, and craniectomy. Duraplasty, cranium reconstruction with mesh, and an anterolateral thigh fasciocutaneous free flap were performed for reconstruction. Adjuvant radiation therapy was administered. An anatomopathological analysis reported a myoepithelial carcinoma of the temporal muscle with dura mater invasion