151751-Najiba-Chargi

18 CHAPTER 1 Figure 3. Skeletal muscle mass segmentation at the level of C3 in which the sternocleidomastoid and paravertebral muscle are segmented in red. A good correlation between skeletal muscle mass area at the level of C3 and L3 was found (r = 0.785). A multivariate formula to estimate the skeletal muscle mass area at the level of L3 from the skeletal muscle mass area at the level of C3 was formulated; the correlation between the estimated skeletal muscle mass area at the level of L3 and the actual skeletal muscle mass area at the level of L3 was excellent ( r = 0.891). This allows for skeletal muscle mass measurements on routinely performed head and neck CT imaging for head and neck cancer diagnosis and treatment evaluation. Due to heterogeneity in patients with head and neck cancer, research is necessary to understand what, and if any, relationship exists between skeletal muscle mass and treatment outcomes. This knowledge may aid in individualizing curative goals which aims at structural and functional preservation, amelioration of treatment outcomes and the maintenance of quality of life.