Clinical characteristics and efficacy of second primary malignancies in hypopharyngeal carcinoma: an analysis of 216 real-world cases / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the incidence, clinical characteristics and prognosis of second primary malignancies (SPMs) among patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC) in real-world analysis.Methods:A total of 594 HPC patients admitted to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College from 2010 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.The incidence and clinical characteristics of HPC patients complicated with SPMs were analyzed. Clinical efficacy was compared among different groups.Results:With a median follow-up time of 66.9 months, SPMs were present in 36.4% (216/594) of HPC patients: 22.2% (132/594) were synchronous and 14.1% (84/594) were metachronous. The upper aerodigestive tract was the most common involved region. Compared with patients without SPMs, patients with synchronous and metachronous carcinoma in situ had similar 5-year overall survival (OS) of 42.2% vs. 44.5% ( P=0.958) and 62.2% vs. 44.5% ( P=0.240), respectively. Patients with synchronous invasive SPMs had a worse 5-year OS of 27.2% vs. 44.5% in their counterparts without SPMs ( P=0.001). Patients with metachronous invasive SPMs had similar 5-year OS of 50.2% vs. 44.5% in their counterparts without SPMs ( P=0.587). SPMs accounted for 42.5% of total death in metachronous invasive SPMs group. Conclusions:Patients with HPC have a high probability of developing SPMs. Moreover, the incidence of complicated with esophageal/gastric carcinoma in situ or metachronous SPMs exerts no effect on prognosis, while the occurrence of synchronous SPMs significantly affectes the prognosis of patients. However, the incidence of SPMs is still one of the main death causes in metachronous invasive SPMs group.

Clinical characteristics and efficacy of oropharyngeal carcinoma with secondary primary tumor / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To analysis the clinical features and prognosis in oropharyngeal carcinoma with secondary primary tumor. Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 468 pathologically confirmed oropharyngeal cancer as the primary tumor patients with p16 status, excluded distant metastasis, and admitted to the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2010 to December 2020. The clinical features and prognosis of the secondary primary tumor were analyzed. Results:Among 468 patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated at initial diagnosed, 222 cases were P16-negative. With a median follow-up time of 64.3 months, 66 cases developed second primary cancer, with an incidence of 29.3%, among which 63.6%（42/66） were synchronous and 36.4%（24/66） were heterochronous, esophagus was the most commonly involved site. The 5-year OS of p16-negative oropharyngeal carcinoma with synchronous second primary cancer, without second primary cancer and with heterogeneous second primary cancer were 26.3% and 57.3% and 73.2%（P=0.001）; The second primary cancer accounted for 11.2%（12/107） of the deaths in the whole group, among them, the heterochronous second primary accounted for 75.0%（9/12）. There were 246 patients with p16 positive, with a median follow-up time of 52.4 months, 20 patients developed second primary cancer（8.1%）. Among them, 65.0%（13/20） were synchronous and 35.0%（7/20） were heterochronous. Esophagus was the most commonly involved site. The 4-year OS of p16-positive with synchronous, heterochronous and non-second primary cancer group were 51.9%, 80.7% and 83.3%. Secondary primary cancer accounted for 3.8%（2/52） of all deaths in p16 positvie group. Conclusion:The incidence of second primary cancer of p16 positive and negative oropharyngeal carcinoma were different. The esophagus was the most commonly involved site regardless of p16 status. Regardless of p16 status, the survival of patients with synchronous second primary cancer was worse than those without second primary cancer. For p16-negative oropharyngeal carcinoma, the prognosis was better in patients with heterogeneous second primary cancer, the second primary cancer is one of the main causes of death.

Comparison of different laryngeal preservation strategies based on chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of the value of response-adapted treatment following radiotherapy and induction chemotherapy follwing subsequent comprehensive therapy in patients with resectable locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods:This cohort study was conducted from September 2010 to September 2020 in our hospital, 231 patients pathologically confirmed stage Ⅲ and ⅣB resectable locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma included. For the IC-directed ART strategy, IC is used to select good candidates to receive radical RT or CCRT, and others undergo surgery. He response-adapted strategy was determined based on the primary tumor response, which was evaluated at a dose of 50 Gy. If the response reached complete response or partial response（more than 80% tumor regression）, patients received radical RT or CCRT; otherwise, they received surgery, if possible, at 4 to 6 weeks after RT. The end points of the study were OS（overall survival）, progression free survival（PFS）, locoregional recurrence-free survival（LRRFS） and LDFS. Results:In IC-directed group, 75.0%（57/76） patients reached PR after 2 cycles of induction chemotherapy. While in RT-directed group, 70.3%（109/155） patients reached large PR at dose of 50 Gy. The median interquartile range follow-up period of the whole cohort was 63.8 months. The 5-year OS, PFS, LRRFS and SFL of the whole cohort were 47.9%、39.6%、44.3% and 36.2%, respectively. In evaluations based on the different treatment strategies, the 5-year OS and SFL were 51.3% versus 37.0%（HR 0.67; 95%CI 0.43-1.05; P=0.07） and 27.8% versus 39.8%（HR 0.68; 95%CI 0.46-0.99; P=0.04） between IC-directed and RT-directed groups. In additional, surgery complications did not significantly differ between these two groups. Conclusion:In this cohort study, the response-adapted strategy based on an early RT response facilitated better treatment tailoring, and higher laryngeal preservation compared with IC-directed strategies. This approach could provide a feasible laryngeal preservation strategy in patients with resectable locally advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

Recent advances in multidisciplinary therapy for sinonasal cancers / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Sinonasal cancers (SNCs) are rare and heterogeneous diseases. Most patients present with locally advanced stage due to the insidious symptoms. In the majority of cases, the treatment strategy relies on the combination of surgery and radiotherapy, supplemented with or without chemotherapy. However, postoperative organ preserving rate is low, quality of life and clinical prognosis are poor. With recent advancement of surgical techniques, radiotherapy and chemotherapy techniques, certain progress has been reached in the diagnosis and treatment of SNCs. Nevertheless, the specific treatment regimen remains controversial. In this article, advances and controversies in SNC were reviewed.

Analysis of the factors influencing the efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: based on a phase Ⅲ clinical randomized controlled study / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To identify the population who can obtain clinical benefit from concurrent chemoradiotherapy through the survival analysis during concurrent chemoradiotherapy in different subgroups.Methods:All data from a phase Ⅲ randomized controlled clinical trial were collected to compare the efficacy between preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy and preoperative radiotherapy from 2002 to 2012 in Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. A total of 222 patients received radiation therapy with a median dose of 69.96 Gy (27.56-76.00 Gy). The cisplatin chemotherapy regimen was adopted and the median dose was 250 mg (100-570 mg). In total, 98 patients received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The survival analysis was conducted with Kaplan- Meier method and univariate analysis was performed with log-rank test. The multivariate prognostic analysis was conducted with Cox’s regression model. Results:The median follow-up time was 59 months (7-139 months). Among them, 104 patients were assigned in the chemoradiotherapy group and 118 patients in the radiotherapy alone group. The local and regional recurrence rates did not significantly differ between two groups (both P>0.05), while chemoradiotherapy tended to decrease the distant metastasis rate compared with the radiotherapy alone (14.4% vs. 24.6, P=0.058). Univariate analysis showed that concurrent chemoradiotherapy significantly increased the local recurrence-free survival in the early N stage subgroup ( P=0.009), and there was an increasing trend in patients aged≤55 years and female patients ( P=0.052, 0.066). The distant metastasis-free survival was significantly improved in T 4( P=0.048), N 3( P=0.005), non-IMRT treatment ( P=0.001) and hypopharyngeal carcinoma ( P=0.004) subgroups, there was an increasing trend in male ( P=0.064), high-and moderate-grade squamous cell carcinoma ( P=0.076) and non-surgical treatment subgroups ( P=0.063). Multivariate analyses showed that concurrent chemoradiotherapy significantly prolonged the progression-free survival and overall survival in patients aged≤55 years ( P=0.017 and 0.039), women ( P=0.041 and 0.039), high-and moderate-grade squamous cell carcinoma ( P=0.006 and 0.022), N 3 stage ( P=0.001 and 0.017), non-surgical treatment ( P=0.007 and 0.033) and non-IMRT treatment subgroups ( P=0.030 and 0.024), and it significantly increased the progression-free survival in patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma ( P=0.022). Conclusion:Concurrent chemoradiotherapy can be actively delivered for young age, female, high-and moderate-grade squamous cell carcinoma, N 3 stage, non-surgical treatment and non-IMRT treatment patients.

Analysis of psychological distress in elderly patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the psychological pain of patients with head and neck cancer aged ≥60 years old before and after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).Methods:Distress Thermometer (DT)(Chinese version) was used to investigate the degree and problems of psychological pain before and after IMRT for 85 elderly patients with head and neck cancer. The results before and after IMRT were compared by paired t-test. Relevant factors were identified by Logistic regression analysis. Results:The median age in the cohort was 66 years old (60-85 years old). The incidence rates of psychological pain were 73% and 87% before and after IMRT ( P<0.001). The corresponding incidence rates of severe distress were 6% and 34%( P<0.001). The main distress problems before IMRT were memory loss/attention deficit, worry, oral pain, economic problems, stress, sleep problems, and dry nose. The significantly-increased distress problems after IMRT were oral pain, constipation, eating, nausea, and dry nose. Logistic regression analysis showed gender ( OR=5.520, 95% CI 1.437-21.212, P=0.013), pre-treatment PG-SGA score ( OR=1.220, 95% CI 1.048-1.421, P=0.010) and medical insurance ( OR=0.230, 95% CI 0.053-0.995, P=0.049) were the relevant factors of the severe psychological distress before IMRT. Occupation ( OR=2.286, 95% CI 1.291-4.050, P=0.005) and medical insurance ( OR=0.089, 95% CI 0.029-0.276, P<0.001) were the relevant factors of severe psychological distress after IMRT. Conclusion:The incidence rate of distress is high in elderly patients with head and neck cancer before IMRT, which can be aggravated after IMRT, primarily the treatment-related physical pain problems.

Clinical diagnosis and treatment of perineural invasion of head and neck malignant tumors / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Perineural invasion is a unique biological behavior of tumors via nerve dissemination and metastasis, which is intimately correlated with the recurrence, metastasis and prognosis. With the deepening research, the clinical significance of perineural invasion has been widely recognized. However, due to the low incidence of head and neck neoplasms and the varying incidence of perineural invasion in different anatomical sites and pathological types, high-level evidence-based medical evidence is still lacking. Currently, the pathological mechanism of perineural invasion has not been clearly clarified. No specific treatment has been available for perineural invasion. Therefore, the treatment of perineural invasion of head and neck tumors is an enormous challenge for clinicians. In this article, the current status of clinical diagnosis and treatment of perineural invasion in head and neck malignancies was reviewed.

Patterns and risk factors of lymph node metastasis in locally advanced supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the pattern of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with locally advanced (T3, T4) laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LALSC) and provide reference for the delineation of clinical target volume.@*Methods@#Clinical data of 272 patients with LALSC treated in our hospital from 2000 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent bilateral neck dissection (at least level Ⅱ-Ⅳ). The LNM ratio of each node level was calculated. The risk factors of LNM were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.@*Results@#LNM was found in 156 of 272 patients (57.1%). According to the location of primary lesions, all patients were divided into group A (n=72; unilateral without midline involvement), group B (n=86; unilateral with midline involvement) and group C (n=114; giant or central). In group A, the LNM ratio at ipsilateral level Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 36.3%, 26.4% and 6.9%, whereas 13.9%, 8.3% and 1.4% at the contralateral level, respectively. In group B, the LNM ratio at ipsilateral level Ⅱ, Ⅲ and IV was 1.9%, 29.1% and 11.6%, whereas 18.6%, 14.0% and 1.2% at the contralateral level, respectively. In group C, the LNM ratio at the left neck level Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 24.6%, 23.7% and 2.6%, whereas 21.9%, 26.3% and 6.1% at the right neck, respectively. Bilateral LNM ratio did not significantly differ between group A and group B/C (15.3%, 25.0%, P=0.093). Ipsilateral level Ⅲ metastasis (OR=2.929, 95%CI 1.041-8.245, P=0.042) and clinical N stage (OR=0.082, 95%CI 0.018-0.373, P=0.001) were associated with contralateral LNM. Ipsilateral level Ⅱ(P=0.043) or Ⅲ(P=0.009) metastasis were risk factors of the ipsilateral level Ⅳ metastasis.@*Conclusions@#Neck levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ are the high-risk LNM regions, whereaslevels Ⅳ and V are the low-risk areas. Ipsilateral level Ⅱ or Ⅲ metastases are the risk factors of ipsilateral level Ⅳ and contralateral cervical LNM. Contralateral neck LNM rarely occurs in cN0 stage patients.

Observation of the effect of organ displacement on target area of intensity-modulated radiotherapy during swallowing for head and neck cancer based on dynamic MRI images / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:Continuous acquisition of swallowing images of head and neck cancer patients by using MRI technique was performed to observe and measure the movement regularity and maximum displacement of the soft palate, tongue and larynx.Methods:From July 2018 to October 2018, 20 patients with primary head and neck cancer were chosen randomly, 17 male and 3 female. The median age was 58.5 years (28 to 78 years). Among the 20 patients, 7 patients were diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 3 patients with oral cancer, 5 patients with oropharyngeal cancer, 3 patients with hypopharyngeal cancer, and 2 patients with nasal and paranasal sinuses cancer. Two patients were classified as stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ, 8 patients as stage Ⅲ and 10 patients as stage Ⅳ according to the eighth edition of AJCC.Results:The displacement of the upward movement of the soft palate during swallowing was (1.06±0.31) cm and followed the pattern normal distribution. The displacement of backward movement of the soft palate was (0.83±0.24) cm, which also almost normally distributed. The displacement of backward tongue movement was (0.77±0.22) cm and followed the normal distribution pattern. The displacement of upward tongue movement was 0 in patients with tongue depressor for image acquisition. The mediandisplacement of upward tongue movement in patients without tongue depressor was 1.23 cm (0.59 to 1.41 cm). The displacement of upward laryngeal movement was (1.14±0.22) cm and followed the normal distribution pattern, and the median displacement of forward laryngeal movement was 0.4 cm (0.27 to 0.90 cm).Conclusions:Swallowing movement may occur in head and neck cancer patients during radiotherapy. It can also cause the movement of gross tumor volume (GTV) and surrounding normal tissues. Therefore, extensive attention should be paid to the individual distance between GTV and planning gross tumor volume (PGTV) when making radiotherapy plans, aiming to ensure the prescription dose of cancer.

Patterns of regional spread and the value of elective neck treatment for oral mucosal melanoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To investigate the patterns of regional lymphatic spread and the value of elective neck treatment (ENT) in oral mucosal melanoma (OMM).Methods:In this retrospective analysis, 61 OMM patients with no distant metastasis treated in Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between 1984 and 2016 were recruitred. The regional lymph node distribution of cN+ disease, the value of ENT in cN 0 disease, the failure patterns and prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed. Results:Overall, 55.7% of the patients were clinical/pathological cN+ . The most frequently involved locations were the level Ⅰ b (76%), followed by level Ⅱ and level Ⅲ. For cN 0 patients, the 5-year regional failure-free survival rate was 91.7% in patients who received at least ipsilateral level Ⅰ b-Ⅲ ENT and 52.4% in patients who did not receive at least ipsilateral level Ⅰ b-Ⅲ ENT ( P=0.036). The regional failure rate was 6% for patients treated with at least ipsilateral leve Ⅰ b-Ⅲ ENT, while in their counterparts who did not receive at least ipsilateral level Ⅰ b-Ⅲ ENT was 46%( P=0.035). For the regional failure pattern, the most frequently failure sites were level Ⅰ b (93%), level Ⅱ(50%) and level Ⅲ(36%). Conclusions:The cervical lymph node metastasis rate is relatively high in OMM patients. The pathway of regional LN spread follows a regular pattern. The most frequently involved regions for clinical/pathological cN+ and regional failure are both level Ⅰ b-Ⅲ. Elective treatment including at least ipsilateral level Ⅰ b-Ⅲ ENT should be recommended for OMM patients with cN 0.

Analysis of clinical efficacy of hypofractionated precision radiotherapy for lung metastases / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hypofractionated radiotherapy for lung metastases (LMs).Methods:From March 2007 to April 2019, 193 patients with 317 LMs including 124 male and 69 female admitted to our hospital were enrolled. The median age was 58 years old and the median KPS was 80. The primary tumors were mainly distributed in the lung (33.7%), colorectum (21.2%), head and neck (13.5%) and breast (10.9%), respectively. The clinical efficacy and side effects of hypofractionated radiotherapy for LMs were evaluated.Results:The median follow-up time was 59.9 months (95% CI: 55.1-64.6 months). Among 193 patients with 317 LMs, 90.7% of them were treated with 4D-CT, 69.4% for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), 28.0% for volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and 2.6% for tomotherapy (TOMO), respectively. The median gross tumor volume (GTV) and planning target volume (PTV) were 5.0 cm 3(0.2-142.3 cm 3) and 12.0 cm 3(1.0-200.1 cm 3). The prescription dose regimen was 60 Gy in 4 to 15 fractions. The median dose for PTV was 60 Gy (45-70 Gy) and biological effective dose was 96 Gy (60-150 Gy), respectively. The 1-, 3-and 5-year local control rates (LCR) were 95.7%, 91.3% and 89.9%, respectively. The median time from primary cancer diagnosis to lung metastases was a prognostic factor for LCR ( P=0.027). The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 90.1%, 60.8%, 46.2%, and 54.3%, 30.3%, 19.9%, respectively. The median time from primary cancer diagnosis to lung metastases and extrapulmonary metastases was the prognostic factor for OS and PFS. No Grade 3 toxicities were seen. Conclusion:Image-guided hypofractionated precision radiotherapy is an efficacious and safe treatment for LMs.

High-risk factors of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis in patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma based on magnetic resonance imaging / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To analyze the incidence and high-risk factors of lymph node metastasis in the retropharyngeal region of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), aiming to guide the delineation of clinical target area.Methods:Clinical data of patients who were pathologically diagnosed with hypopharyngeal carcinoma from January 2012 to September 2018 in our center were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received head and neck MRI before treatment. The diagnosis of lymph node metastasis and the delineation of primary gross target volume (GTV p) and lymph nodes target volume (GTV nd) were determined by all the radiation oncologists in head and neck group through twice weekly general round discussion. The cut-off points of GTV p and GTV nd were defined by establishing the receiver operating characteristic curve. All patients were divided into the high GTV p, low GTV p and high GTV nd and low GTV nd groups. Chi-square test was used for univariate analysis and logistic regression was utilized for multivariate analysis to analyze the high-risk factors of patients with retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis. Results:A total of 326 patients were included in this study, 295 of whom were diagnosed with cervical lymph node metastasis, accounting for 90.5%. The most common involved area was Level Ⅱ a, followed by Level Ⅲ, Level Ⅱ b, Level IV, Level Ⅶ a (retropharyngeal), Level V a, and Level V b. The incidence of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis was 21.5%, and the incidence was 53.1% in patients with primary tumor located in the posterior pharyngeal wall. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that patients with tumor originated from the posterior pharyngeal wall ( P=0.002), bilateral cervical lymph node metastasis ( P=0.020), larger GTV p (greater than 47 cm 3, P=0.003), and larger GTV nd (greater than 22 cm 3, P=0.023) were significantly associated with the occurrence of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis. Conclusions:The incidence of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis is high in hypopharyngeal carcinoma, especially in patients with primary tumors in the posterior pharyngeal wall, bilateral cervical lymph node metastasis and larger primary burden. Therefore, for patients with these risk factors, it is highly recommended that the clinical target area should be delineated to include the retropharyngeal lymph node drainage area.

Effects of different combinations of comprehensive treatment on survival of patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: post-hoc analysis of a phase Ⅲ randomized controlled clinical trial / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To compare the effects of comprehensive treatment with different combinations of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery on the survival of patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC).Methods:From September 2002 to May 2012, 222 patients were enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical trial to compare the clinical efficacy between preoperative radiotherapy and preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The chemotherapy was performed at the beginning of the radiotherapy, with cisplatin 30 mg/m 2 every week. Conventional radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) was adopted. Clinical efficacy was evaluated during radiotherapy to 50 Gy in all patients. Whether surgery or original treatment regime was given was determined according to the clinical efficacy. The survival of different therapeutic methods was analyzed by Kaplan- Meier method. Results:The median follow-up time was 59 months (7-139 months). All patients were divided into four groups: radiotherapy group (R group, n=84), concurrent chemo-radiotherapy group (R+ C group, n=67), preoperative radiotherapy group (R+ S group, n=34) and preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (R+ C+ S group, n=37). The 5-year overall survival rates were 32%, 44%, 51%, and 52%, respectively (R+ C+ S group vs. R group, P=0.047). The 5-year progression-free survival rates were 34%, 48%, 49%, and 61%, respectively (R+ C Group vs. R group, P=0.081; R+ C+ S group vs. R group, P=0.035). The 5-yeal distant metastasis-free survival rates were 70%, 85%, 65%, and 73%, respectively (R+ C group vs. R+ S group, P=0.064; R+ C group vs. R+ S group, P=0.016). Conclusions:Compared with radiotherapy alone, comprehensive treatment with different combinations can improve the long-term survival of LA-HNSCC patients. Radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy has a tendency to improve the distant metastasis-free survival rate, The optimal comprehensive treatment modality that improves the overall survival of LA-HNSCC patients remains to be explored.

Clinical diagnosis and treatment of perineural invasion of head and neck malignant tumors / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Perineural invasion is a unique biological behavior of tumors via nerve dissemination and metastasis,which is intimately correlated with the recurrence,metastasis and prognosis.With the deepening research,the clinical significance of perineural invasion has been widely recognized.However,due to the low incidence of head and neck neoplasms and the varying incidence of perineural invasion in different anatomical sites and pathological types,high-level evidence-based medical evidence is still lacking.Currently,the pathological mechanism of perineural invasion has not been clearly clarified.No specific treatment has been available for perineural invasion.Therefore,the treatment of perineural invasion of head and neck tumors is an enormous challenge for clinicians.In this article,the current status of clinical diagnosis and treatment of perineural invasion in head and neck malignancies was reviewed.

Patterns and risk factors of lymph node metastasis in locally advanced supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To investigate the pattern of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with locally advanced (T3,T4) laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LALSC) and provide reference for the delineation of clinical target volume.Methods Clinical data of 272 patients with LALSC treated in our hospital from 2000 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent bilateral neck dissection (at least level Ⅱ-Ⅳ).The LNM ratio of each node level was calculated.The risk factors of LNM were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.Results LNM was found in 156 of 272 patients (57.1％).According to the location of primary lesions,all patients were divided into group A (n=72;unilateral without midline involvement),group B (n=86;unilateral with midline involvement) and group C (n=114;giant or central).In group A,the LNM ratio at ipsilateral level Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 36.3％,26.4％ and 6.9％,whereas 13.9％,8.3％ and 1.4％ at the contralateral level,respectively.In group B,the LNM ratio at ipsilateral level Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 1.9％,29.1％ and 11.6％,whereas 18.6％,14.0％ and 1.2％ at the contralateral level,respectively.In group C,the LNM ratio at the left neck level Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 24.6％,23.7％ and 2.6％,whereas 21.9％,26.3％ and 6.1％ at the right neck,respectively.Bilateral LNM ratio did not significantly differ between group A and group B/C (15.3％,25.0％,P=0.093).Ipsilateral level Ⅲ metastasis (OR=2.929,95％CI 1.041-8.245,P=0.042) and clinical N stage (OR=0.082,95％CI 0.018-0.373,P=0.001) were associated with contralateral LNM.Ipsilateral level Ⅱ(P=0.043) or Ⅲ(P=0.009)metastasis were risk factors of the ipsilateral level Ⅳ metastasis.Conclusions Neck levels Ⅱ and Ⅲ are the high-risk LNM regions,whereaslevels Ⅳ and Ⅴ are the low-risk areas.Ipsilateral level Ⅱor Ⅲ metastases are the risk factors of ipsilateral level Ⅳ and contralateral cervical LNM.Contralateral neck LNM rarely occurs in cN0 stage patients.

Clinical characteristics, diagnosis and efficacy of primary lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To analyze the clinical features,diagnosis and prognosis of patients with primary lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland.Methods Clinical data of 13 patients diagnosed with lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland in our hospital from 2009 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.The median follow-up time was 38.5 months.All patients received radiotherapy after operation.Results Of 13 patients,9 cases were male and 4 female.The median age was 33 years.At the initial diagnosis,9 cases had primary lesions limited to the parotid gland,and 4 cases of lymph node metastases located in Ⅰb and Ⅱ regions of the neck.According to UICC2010 staging,1 case was classified as stage Ⅰ,Ⅰ as stage Ⅱ,6 as stage Ⅲ and 5 as stage Ⅳ,respectively.Eleven surgically pathological specimens were tested with EBER in-situ,and 10 cases were positive for EBER.No patient died in the whole group.The 3-year overall survival rate was 100％.The 3-year progression-free survival rate was 76％.The 3-year local control rate was 92％.The 3-year metastasis-free survival rate was 84％.Conclusions The incidence of lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland is relatively low.The pathological features are associated with EB virus.It is prone to present with cervical lymph node metastasis.The possibility of lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma to the parotid gland should be excluded before treatment.At present,surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy is the main treatment.The overall survival is favorable.Local recurrence and distant metastasis are the main causes of treatment failure.

Treatment modalities and clinical prognosis of 46 patients with nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To analyze the clinical treatment modalities and clinical prognosis of patients diagnosed with primary nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma (NACC).Methods The medical records of 46 patients with NACC between March 1971 and November 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.Among them,22 patients were male and 24 female.The median age of all patients was 47 years (range:23-74 years).Among them,34 patients received radiotherapy alone including 25 patients treated with conventional radiotherapy and 9 receiving intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).Five patients underwent salvage surgery for the residual tumors after radiotherapy.Twelve patients were treated with a comprehensive treatment modality (surgery combined with radiotherapy).Results The median follow-up time was 66.0 months (range:11.0-270.6 months).The 5-and 10-year overall survival,locoregional failure-free survival,and distant metastasis failure-free survival rates were 70％ and 40％,64％ and 47％,70％ and 62％,respectively.In the radiotherapy alone group,12(35％) cases obtained complete response,13 had partial response and 9 remained stable after radiotherapy.The 5-year overall survival and locoregional failure-free survival rates in the radiotherapy alone and combined therapy groups were 69％ and 74％,63％ and 66％,respectively (all P＞ 0.05).Conclusion The course of NACC is relatively slow.Radiotherapy is recommended for patients with high sensitivity towards radiotherapy.Salvage surgery is feasible for those who are insensitive to radiotherapy or with residual tumor after radiotherapy.

Clinical characteristics, diagnosis and efficacy of primary lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective@#To analyze the clinical features, diagnosis and prognosis of patients with primary lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland.@*Methods@#Clinical data of 13 patients diagnosed with lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland in our hospital from 2009 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The median follow-up time was 38.5 months. All patients received radiotherapy after operation.@*Results@#Of 13 patients, 9 cases were male and 4 female. The median age was 33 years. At the initial diagnosis, 9 cases had primary lesions limited to the parotid gland, and 4 cases of lymph node metastases located in Ⅰb and Ⅱ regions of the neck. According to UICC2010 staging, 1 case was classified as stage Ⅰ, 1 as stage Ⅱ, 6 as stage Ⅲ and 5 as stage Ⅳ, respectively. Eleven surgically pathological specimens were tested with EBER in-situ, and 10 cases were positive for EBER. No patient died in the whole group. The 3-year overall survival rate was 100%. The 3-year progression-free survival rate was 76%. The 3-year local control rate was 92%. The 3-year metastasis-free survival rate was 84%.@*Conclusions@#The incidence of lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland is relatively low. The pathological features are associated with EB virus. It is prone to present with cervical lymph node metastasis. The possibility of lymph node metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma to the parotid gland should be excluded before treatment. At present, surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy is the main treatment. The overall survival is favorable. Local recurrence and distant metastasis are the main causes of treatment failure.

The change trend of late complications in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated by intensity-modulated radiotherapy: the clinician-and patient-reported outcomes / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the change trend of late complications of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) after 5-year follow up according to the clinician-and patient-reported outcomes.@*Methods@#From 2014 to 2015, NPC patients surviving> 5 years after radical IMRT at our outpatients department and were followed up 3 years later. The late complications were evaluated by the clinician based upon the CTCAE 4.0 rating criteria and assessed by patients themselves into 5 grades including very good, good, fair, poor and very poor.@*Results@#A total of 116 NPC patients were included in the first survey with a median follow-up time of 6.5 years (range, 5.0-11.3 years). During the second survey, 21 patients were lost to follow-up, 7 patients developed nasopharyngeal recurrence or metastases, 7 patients had second primary tumors and 81 patients were eligible for final analysis. In the first survey, the most common clinician-reported ≥grade 2 late complications were subcutaneous fibrosis (n=17, 21.0%) and hearing impairment (n=13, 16.0%). The most frequent patient-reported "poor" and "very poor" late complications included dental caries (n=27, 33.3%), subcutaneous fibrosis (n=17, 21.0%) and hearing impairment (n=12, 14.8%). During the second survey, the most common complications were aggravated or new late complications occurred including hearing impairment (n=16, 20.0%), dental caries (n=16, 20.0%) and posterior cranial neuropathy (n=9, 11.0%).@*Conclusions@#The incidence of late complications is high after radical IMRT for NPC. During the long-term survival, subcutaneous fibrosis and hearing impairment are the main late complications. The incidence of hearing impairment, dental caries and posterior cranial neuropathy is increased over time. The symptoms of hearing impairment and dental caries are aggravated in partial patients.

Analysis of clinical efficacy, failure pattern and prognostic factors of comprehensive treatment for malignant mucosal melanoma of head and neck / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy,failure pattern and prognostic factors of the malignant mucosal melanoma of the head and neck ( MMHN) in a single center. Methods The treatment pattern,clinical efficacy, failure pattern and prognostic factors of 194 M0MMHN patients admitted to our institution from 1982 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.Results The 5-year overall survival (OS),local recurrence-free survival ( LRFS ), regional recurrence-free survival ( RRFS ) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were 41. 4%,57. 8%,76. 5% and 46. 5%,respectively. The failure rate was calculated as 74. 6%(141/189).Among them,40% (56/141) had distant metastasis as the first pattern of treatment failure,37%(52/141) had local relapse,15%(21/141) had regional relapse,5%(7/141) had concurrent distant metastasis and local/regional relapse and 3% ( 5/141) had concurrent local and regional relapse. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that surgical margins (P=0. 001) and adjuvant radiotherapy (P=0. 000) were the independent prognostic factors for LRFS. Conclusions Surgery combined with radiotherapy can yield relatively high LRFS in the comprehensive treatment of MMHN.Distant metastasis is the major failure pattern.