Assessment of quality of life in patients with advanced oral cancer who underwent mandibulectomy with or without bone reconstruction

INTRODUCTION Malignant neoplasms of the head and neck, due to its anatomical location, can cause significant alterations in vital functions related to feeding, communication and social interaction of the affected patients. Objective To analyze the quality of life of patients with advanced malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity and submitted to radical operations with curative intent. Material and methods 47 patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), in stages III and IV, underwent surgical treatment with segmental mandibulectomy and complementary radiotherapy. The patients were submitted to the quality of life questionnaires after a minimum time of six months after the surgical treatment. Results Of the 183 patients, only 47 (25.7%) were able to answer the questionnaire and were included as the sample of the study. The majority of patients selected were male (39; 82.9%). The mean age was 64.4 years. The majority of the patients presented clinical stage IV (83%) and were submitted to adjuvant radiotherapy (95.4%). The mean score obtained after the questionnaires were applied was 64.6. The worst scores were found in swallowing and chewing. Conclusion There were no statistically significant differences in the domains of quality of life between the two groups studied (with bone reconstruction versus no bone reconstruction). Patients interviewed 2 years or more after treatment presented higher scores (p = 0.02).

RESUMO INTRODUÇÃO As neoplasias malignas de cabeça e pescoço, pela própria localização anatômica, podem acarretar alterações significativas em funções vitais relacionadas à alimentação, comunicação e interação social dos indivíduos afetados. OBJETIVO Analisar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes com neoplasias malignas avançadas de cavidade oral, submetidos a operações radicais com intenção curativa. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS 47 pacientes portadores de carcinoma espinocelular de cavidade oral, em estádios III e IV, foram submetidos ao tratamento cirúrgico com mandibulectomia segmentar e radioterapia complementar. Os pacientes foram submetidos ao teste de qualidade de vida após o tempo mínimo de seis meses do tratamento cirúrgico. RESULTADOS Dos 183 pacientes, com apenas 47 (25,7%) foi possível a realização da entrevista, compondo estes a amostra para o estudo. A maioria dos pacientes do grupo selecionado era do sexo masculino, total de 39 homens (82,9%). A idade média foi de 64,4 anos. A maioria dos pacientes apresentava estadiamento clínico IV (83%), sendo submetidos à radioterapia adjuvante (95,4%). A média do escore obtido após a avaliação dos questionários foi de 64,6. Os piores escores foram encontrados nos quesitos deglutição e mastigação. CONCLUSÃO Não houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas nos domínios de qualidade de vida entre os dois grupos estudados (com reconstrução óssea versus sem reconstrução óssea). Pacientes entrevistados dois anos ou mais após o tratamento apresentaram escores superiores (p=0,02).

Expressão imunoistoquímica da endoglina (CD105) e do fator de von Willebrand em carcinoma epidermoide oral e sua relação com parâmetros clinicopatológicos / Immunohistochemical expression of endoglin (CD105) and von Willebrand factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its relationship with clinicopathological parameters

CONTEXTO: A angiogênese tem sido associada à progressão de neoplasias malignas e, embora haja estudos acerca de marcadores angiogênicos no carcinoma epidermoide oral (CEO), existem resultados conflitantes na literatura. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a expressão imunoistoquímica do CD105 e do fator de von Willebrand (FvW) em CEO e sua relação com parâmetros clínicos do tumor. MÉTODOS: A imunoexpressão dos referidos biomarcadores foi analisada em 30 casos de CEO e correlacionada a parâmetros clínicos do tumor (idade e sexo dos pacientes, localização anatômica e estadiamento clínico Tumor, Nodo e Metástase, TNM). RESULTADOS: A imunomarcação com o anticorpo anti-FvW foi mais efetiva que a do CD105 no CEO. No que concerne à localização anatômica, o assoalho bucal e a região retromolar apresentaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas quanto aos índices angiogênicos (p = 0,004), determinados pela técnica de contagem microvascular (MVC). Não houve relação estatisticamente significativa entre o estadiamento clínico TNM e os índices angiogênicos, com os dois biomarcadores. CONCLUSÕES: Com base nos achados deste estudo, sugere-se um envolvimento da neoformação vascular na carcinogênese oral, embora não tenha sido evidenciada associação significativa com o estágio clínico da lesão.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis has been linked with progression of malignant neoplasms and although studies have been conducted investigating angiogenic markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), contradictory results are reported in the literature. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate immunohistochemical expression of CD105 and von Willebrand factor (vWF) in OSCC and their relationships with clinical parameters of the tumors. METHODS: Immunoexpression of these biomarkers was analyzed in 30 cases of OSCC and correlated with clinical parameters of the tumors (age and sex of patients, anatomic site and Tumor, Node and Metastasis clinical staging [TNM]). RESULTS: In OSCC specimens, immunostaining was more effective using the anti-vWF antibody than using the anti-CD105 antibody. Angiogenic indices, determined by microvascular count (MVC) technique, were different for the floor of the mouth and the retromolar region, with statistical significance (p = 0.004). There were no statistically significant relationships between results for the two biomarkers and TNM clinical staging or angiogenic indices. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that vascular remodeling is involved in oral carcinogenesis, although there was no evidence of a significant association with clinical stage of lesions.

Prevalence and pattern of nodal metastasis in pT4 gingivobuccal cancers and its implications for treatment.

Context: The pattern of nodal spread in oral cancers is largely predictable and treatment of neck can be tailored with this knowledge. Most studies available on the pattern are from the western world and for early cancers of the tongue and floor of the mouth. Aims: The present study was aimed to evaluate the prevalence and pattern of nodal metastasis in patients with pathologic T4 (pT4) buccal/alveolar cancers. Settings and Design: Medical records of the patients with pT4 primary buccal and alveolar squamous cell carcinomas treated by single-stage resection of primary tumor and neck dissection at Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute (GCRI), Ahmedabad, a regional cancer center in India, during September 2004 to August 2006, were analyzed for nodal involvement. Materials and Methods: The study included 127 patients with pT4 buccal/alveolar cancer. Data pertaining to clinical nodal status, histologic grade, pT and pN status (TNM classification of malignant tumors, UICC, 6th edition, 2002), total number of nodes removed, and those involved by tumor, and levels of nodal involvement were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test. Results: Fifty percent of the patients did not have nodal metastasis on final histopathology. Occult metastasis rate was 23%. All of these occurred in levels I to III. Among those with clinically palpable nodes, level V involvement was seen only in 4% of the patients with pT4 buccal cancer and 3% of the patients with alveolar cancer. Conclusions: Elective treatment of the neck in the form of selective neck dissection of levels I to III is needed for T4 cancers of gingivobuccal complex due to a high rate of occult metastasis. Selected patients with clinically involved nodes could be well served by a selective neck dissection incorporating levels I to III or IV.

Evaluation of the quality of life of patients with oral cancer in Brazil

This study performed a field trial of a Portuguese version of the University of Washington quality of life questionnaire (UW-QOL, 3rd version), aiming at appraising its ability to identify different patterns of health-related quality of life of patients with oral cancer in Brazil. Patients (N = 100) were interviewed as they were undergoing treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma at a large Brazilian hospital ("Hospital das Clínicas", School of Medicine, University of São Paulo). The results were compared based on categories of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. At a one-year follow-up, 20 patients had died, and 24 were considered dropouts. The remaining patients accounted for the longitudinal assessment of modifications in the self report of quality of life. Patients with larger tumours and neoplasms in the posterior part of the mouth presented significantly (p < 0.05) poorer indications of quality of life. Chewing was the poorest rated domain (35.0/100.0), and presented the highest proportion of complaints both at the baseline and at the follow-up assessments. The questionnaire allowed the identification of important contrasts (while comparing clinical characteristics) and similarities (while comparing socio-demographic status) among subsets of respondents, and it can contribute to reduce the impact of treatments and improve subsequent patient management.

O presente estudo realizou teste de campo para uma versão em Português do questionário de qualidade de vida da Universidade de Washington (UW-QOL, 3ª versão), com o intuito de avaliar sua capacidade em descrever padrões diferenciais de qualidade de vida de pacientes com câncer de boca no contexto brasileiro. Foram entrevistados 100 pacientes com carcinoma epidermóide oral no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. Os resultados foram comparados por características sócio-demográficas e clínicas dos pacientes. Após um ano, 20 pacientes haviam falecido e 24 não foram localizados. A re-entrevista dos demais permitiu o acompanhamento longitudinal de modificações na auto-avaliação de qualidade de vida. Pacientes com tumores maiores e neoplasia na porção posterior da boca apresentaram indicadores de pior qualidade de vida (p < 0.05). Mastigação foi o item com pior avaliação (35,0/100,0) e maior proporção de queixas, tanto na avaliação inicial como no seguimento longitudinal. O questionário permitiu identificar relevantes contrastes (na comparação de características clínicas) e similaridades (na comparação de características sócio-demográficas) entre os grupos de respondentes. Seu uso regular no hospital pode contribuir para reduzir o impacto das aplicações terapêuticas e aprimorar a gestão dos tratamentos.

Fatores de risco para o câncer bucal / Risk factors for oral cancer

O câncer bucal é uma doença bastante prevalente na população mundial, representando aproximadamente 5 por cento do total de incidência de câncer no mundo. Assim como em outras neoplasias malignas, seu desenvolvimento é estimulado por fatores ambientais conjugados a fatores intrínsecos do hospedeiro que associados ao tempo de exposição deixam o indivíduo mais suscetível ao seu aparecimento. Este artigo de revisão de literatura, traz um estudo do câncer bucal dando ênfase a estes fatores de risco que predispõem sua ocorrência

Oral nodular endothelial hyperplasia: report of cases and review of the literature

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (intravascular angiomatosis) is a lesion which several authors regard as a reactive phenomenon associated with such vascular alterations as hemangiomas, hematomas, varix, thrombi or dilated vessels while others consider it a neoplasm. An extensive review of the literature and a discussion of the previously reported points of view with a report of six new oral cases (including the first such lesion associated with an oral hematoma) is presented. As it is demonstrated, this process starts as a thrombus formation with initial proliferation of endothelial cells and it ends as an endothelial nodule of main intravascular location. The importance of distinguishing this lesion from angiosarcoma is stressed and their differences discussed. We propose that the correct name for this entity is "Nodular Endothelial Hyperplasia".

Epidemiología descriptiva del cáncer de cavidad bucal en el Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (1985-1992) / Descriptive epidemiology of oral cancer 1985-1992 at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia of Mexico

Las características clínicas y los factores de riesgo en cáncer de cavidad bucal en México han sido poco descritos. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las caracteristicas clínicas y el hábito tabáquico en los casos con cáncer de cavidad bucal que se presentaron al Instituto Nacional de Cancerología en el período de 1985 a 1992. De los expedientes se obtuvieron los datos sobre edad, sexo, ocupación y hábito tabáquico del paciente, así como ubicación, tamaño y tipo histológico del tumor, y ganglios linfáticos clínicamente evidentes. Se analizaron la frecuencia y distribución de las variables con las pruebas de ji cuadarada y la prueba de t de Student. Del total de 633 casos, el 60.3 por ciento fueron hombres y el 39.7 por ciento mujeres. La edad promedio entre los varones fue de 60.9 años (intervalo de 15 y 98) y en mujeres de 59.5 años (intervalo de 15 a 105). Los sitios más afectados fueron: lengua con una frecuencia de 27.1 y 27.6 por ciento, encía con 17.3 y 22.4 por ciento y glandulas salivales con 16.6 y 21.5 por ciento, en hombres y mujeres respectivamente. El 71 por ciento de los casos fueron variedad histológica epidermoide y cerca del 65 por ciento de los tumores se presentaron en etapas clínicas avanzadas (III y IV). El 83.9 por ciento de los hombres y el 21.6 por ciento mujeres consumían tabaco (p < 0.000). El 67.4 por ciento de los varones y el 38.8 por ciento de las mujeres fumaban 10 o más cigarros al día (p = 0.006). El tiempo de duranción del hábito fue de 37.3 años en hombres y de 30.5 años en mujeres (p = 0.0026). El tiempo de evolución del tumor fue mayor en las mujeres que en los varones (p = 0.003). El cáncer de cavidad bucal es poco frecuente y la mayoría de los casos se presentan en etapas avanzadas. En los hombres, el consumo de tabaco parece ser uno de los factores más importantes para el desarrollo de este tipo de tumor

Current status of oral cancer in Karachi

This study examines the demographic, aetiological and clinicopathological features of 130 cases of oral squamous cell carcinomas [OSCC]. A substantial majority of cases of OSCC were attributable to tobacco smoking, chewing and betel quid habits with an obvious implication for instituting preventive measures. Most studies link the causes of oral cancer in South East Asian countries to the tobacco and betel quid habit. Implicit in this link but often ignored by investigators are the compounding roles of nutritional factors. Conclusively the individual risks and combination of these habits appear much more than additive, rather multiplicative in a background of nutritional and low socio-economic status