Impact of chemotherapy on expiratory muscle strength in stage 1 head and neck cancer patients

Head and neck cancer (HNC), in current days, is one of the fatal diseases. Chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for cancer. Chemotherapy has an adverse impact on the respiratory parameters of patients. In these patients, expiratory force-generating capacity is impaired, which usually helps the patients cough effectively for airway clearance. Thus, as an impact of chemotherapy, airway clearance is affected in HNC patients. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy expiratory muscle strength in stage 1 head and neck cancer patients. We conducted an observational study including 15 patients with stage 1 HNC in the department of oncology in a tertiary care teaching hospital. The outcome measure included assessment of the expiratory muscle strength by measuring maximum expiratory pressure. In our study, we found a result showing a significant decline of 53.43% in maximum expiratory pressure values after 3-6 months of required chemotherapy sessions. The results of the current study suggest that chemotherapy has a deleterious impact on the expiratory muscle strength in stage 1 HNC patients after long-term exposure.

A Cocktail of Natural Compounds Holds Promise for New Immunotherapeutic Potential in Head and Neck Cancer / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To obtain detailed understanding on the gene regulation of natural compounds in altering prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSC).@*METHODS@#Gene expression data of HNSC samples and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HNSC patients were collected from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Differential gene expression analysis of GEO datasets were achieved by the GEO2R tool. Common differentially expressed gerres (DEGs) were screened by comparing DEGs of HNSC with those of PBMCs. The combination was further analyzed for regulating pathways and biological processes that were affected.@*RESULTS@#Totally 110 DEGs were retrieved and identified to be involved in biological processes related to tumor regulation. Then 102 natural compounds were screened for a combination such that the expression of all 110 commonly DEGs was altered. A combination of salidroside, ginsenoside Rd, oridonin, britanin, and scutellarein was chosen. A multifaceted, multi-dimensional tumor regression was showed by altering autophagy, apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis and inflammatory cytokines production.@*CONCLUSIONS@#This study has helped develop a unique combination of natural compounds that will markedly reduce the propensity of development of drug resistance in tumors and immune evasion by tumors. The result is crucial to developing a combinatorial natural therapeutic cocktail with accentuated immunotherapeutic potential.

Effectiveness and tolerance of electrochemotherapy as palliative therapy for patients with head and neck cancer and malignant melanoma and its relation to early skin reaction

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and tolerance after the electrochemotherapy treatment for local therapy of cutaneous and subcutaneous metastases of head-and-neck tumors and malignant melanoma refractory to standard therapies, mainly in neck metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma. And, to evaluate the relation of this response according to the skin reaction (healing with ulcer or dry crust). Methods prospective pase II, observational clinical study of 56 patients with metastases of head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (n = 13), papillary thyroid carcinoma (n = 4), adenoid cystic carcinoma of parotid gland (n = 1) or malignant melanoma (n = 37, 5 in head). Patients were treated by electrochemotherapy (application of electrical pulses into the tumor) after the administration of a single intravenous dose of bleomycin. Kaplan-Meier curves were performed. The statistical significance was evaluated using log-rank test; p-value of less than 0.05 was considered as significant. Results Overall clinical response was observed in 47 patients (84%). Local side effects were mild in all the patients. Ten patients (76.9%) with neck metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma had some degree of response, but only in one was complete. Patients even with only partial response had a higher overall survival than patients without response (p = 0.02). Most of the patients with squamous cell carcinoma had diminution of pain and anxiety. Response rate and overall survival was higher in MM patients (86.5%) than in squamous cell cancer patients (76.9%) (p = 0.043). The healing process (dry crust/ulcer) was not associated with the overall survival (p = 0.86). Conclusions Electrochemotherapy is associated a higher overall survival and diminution of pain and anxiety. Therefore, it is an option as palliative treatment for patients with neck metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma refractory to other therapies or even as a concomitant treatment with newer immunotherapies. The type of healing of the surgical wound could not be associated with a higher rate of response or survival. Level of evidence III.

Diagnostic Delay in HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract Introduction Human papillomavirus-related (HPV +) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is increasing in incidence and presents diagnostic challenges given its unique clinical presentation. Objective The purpose of the present study is to characterize the impact of the unique clinical presentation of HPV-related OPSCC on delays in diagnosis. Methods Retrospective review of presenting symptoms and clinical characteristics of 284 patients with OPSCC treated from 2002-2014. Delay in diagnosis was defined as the presence of any of the following: multiple non-diagnostic fine needle aspirate (FNA) biopsies; two or more courses of antibiotic therapy; surgery with incorrect preoperative diagnosis; evaluation by an otolaryngologist without further workup; or surgery without definitive postoperative diagnosis. Results p16+ tumors demonstrated a distinct clinical presentation that more commonly involved a neck mass (85.1% versus 57.3% of p16-; p < 0.001) and less frequently included odynophagia (24.6% versus 51.7% of p16-; p < 0.001). Patients who experienced diagnostic delay were more likely to have p16+ tumors (77.7% delayed versus 62.8% not delayed; p = 0.006). p16+ primary tumors were more likely to be undetectable by physical examination of the head and neck including flexible laryngoscopy (19.0% versus 6.7% of p16-; p = 0.007) and more frequently associated with nondiagnostic FNA biopsies of a cervical nodal mass (11.8% versus 3.4% of p16-, p = 0.03). Conclusions Compared with non-HPV related OPSCC, the unique clinical presentation and characteristics of HPV+ OPSCC are associated with an increased incidence of diagnostic delay. Targeted education of appropriate care providers may improve time to diagnosis and treatment.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Persian Version of the M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory

Abstract Introduction Dysphagia is a common issue in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) and is known to negatively impact their quality of life. To evaluate the impact of dysphagia on the quality of life of HNC patients, the M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) questionnaire was developed. Objective The present study aimed to culturally adapt and validate the MDADI for Persian-speaking individuals. The MDADI is a self-administered questionnaire designed to assess the impact of dysphagia on the quality of life of HNC patients. Methods The original MDADI questionnaire was translated into Persian using the forward-backward method, following the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) for cultural adaptation. The content validity of the Persian version, MDADI-P, was assessed by 10 speech-language pathologists using the content validity index (CVI). Seventy-five HNC patients completed the MDADI-P to evaluate its convergent validity, which was determined by comparing the results with the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach α coefficient and intraclass correlation (ICC), respectively. Results The scale content validity index (S-CVI) for the MDADI-P was 0.90, indicating good content validity. The MDADI-P demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach α coefficient = 0.728) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.91). The total MDADI-P score exhibited a significant correlation with the physical and mental components of the SF-36 (0.456 and 0.349, respectively, p < 0.05). Conclusion The findings of the present study confirm the suitability of the MDADI-P in terms of content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability.

Caracterización de los pacientes con cáncer bucal en el Hospital Provincial Docente Oncológico María Curie de Camagüey / Characterization of Patients with Oral Cancer in the María Curie Oncological Teaching Provincial Hospital of Camagüey

Introducción: El cáncer bucal continúa siendo una de las neoplasias malignas en ascenso, de acuerdo con su incidencia y el importante número de muertes cada año. En este sentido, se han desarrollado programas de salud para la población que garantizan la pesquisa, la prevención y la atención de las enfermedades. Objetivo: Caracterizar a los pacientes con cáncer bucal en el Hospital Provincial Docente Oncológico María Curie de la provincia Camagüey durante el período 2018-2022. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal en el Hospital Provincial Docente Oncológico María Curie de la provincia Camagüey en un universo de 218 pacientes, que acudieron al Servicio de Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello del año 2018 al 2022 y tuvieron como diagnóstico cáncer bucal. La muestra se delimitó a 113 pacientes que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión y exclusión. Resultados: El cáncer bucal predominó en el sexo masculino con 89 (78,76 por ciento) en los años 2019 y 2021. Hubo mayor frecuencia en pacientes de piel blanca con 97 (85,84 por ciento) y el año 2021 mostró mayor número de estos enfermos. La lengua fue la más afectada con 43 (30,05 por ciento) pacientes, seguida por el suelo de boca en 18 (15,92 por ciento) y las encías en 17 (15,04 por ciento) pacientes. Según el estadio existió un predominio del IV en 61 (53,98 por ciento) enfermos, seguido por el III con un 18,58 por ciento de pacientes diagnosticados. Conclusiones: Prevaleció del sexo masculino en el grupo de 60 a 79 años y los pacientes de piel blanca fueron los más afectados. La localización de las lesiones se manifestó con mayor incidencia en la lengua y los estadios IV y III de la enfermedad son los más representativos en el momento del diagnóstico(AU)

Introduction: Oral cancer continues to be one of the malignant neoplasms on the rise, according to its incidence and the significant number of deaths each year. In this sense, health programs have been developed for the population that guarantee screening, prevention and care of the diseases. Objective: To characterize patients with oral cancer at the María Curie Oncological Teaching Provincial Hospital in Camagüey province during the period 2018-2022. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in the María Curie Oncological Teaching Provincial Hospital of Camagüey province in a universe of 218 patients, who attended the Head and Neck Surgery Service from 2018 to 2022 and had oral cancer as diagnosis. The sample was limited to 113 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Oral cancer predominated in the male sex with 89 (78.76 percent) in the years 2019 and 2021. There was a higher incidence in patients with white skin with 97 (85.84 percent) and the year 2021 showed a higher number of these patients. The tongue was the most affected with 43 (30.05 percent) patients, followed by the floor of the mouth in 18 (15.92 percent) and the gums in 17 (15.04 percent) patients. According to stage there was a predominance of stage IV in 61 (53.98 percent) patients, followed by stage III with 18.58 percent of patients diagnosed. Conclusions: Male sex prevailed in the 60 to 79 years age group and white skin patients were the most affected. The location of the lesions manifested with greater incidence on the tongue and stages IV and III of the disease are the most representative at the time of diagnosis(AU)

The CetuxIMAX protocol: a non-interventional, uncontrolled, and non-comparative multicentric study for exploring the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics relationships of cetuximab in head and neck cancer patients

Background: In a previous pilot-study, a link between Cetuximab exposure levels (i.e., trough levels above 34 mg/ml) and clinical outcome in head and neck cancer patients was found. Considering the high inter-individual variability in Cetuximab plasma levels, lack of efficacy could thus be linked to inadequate exposure levels, rather than issues with signalling pathways at the tumor level. Methods: The CetuxIMAX study is a non-interventional, uncontrolled, and non-comparative multicentric study in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and treated by any Cetuximab-based regimen. A total of 122 patients will be enrolled in this study. The primary endpoint is the estimation of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of Cetuximab trough plasma level for the disease control rate (DCR). Pharmacokinetics samples will be collected at first cycle, when steady-state is reached, and during maintenance phase to monitor the Cetuximab levels throughout time. Standard PK modelling using population-approach will be performed to identify individual PK parameters and enable further simulations of exposure levels throughout the different cycles. Univariate and multivariable statistical analysis aiming at exploring any association between Cetuximab exposure levels and clinical outcome will be performed. Conclusions: Should the target therapeutic window associated with efficacy be confirmed with Cetuximab in head/neck cancer patients, this could pave the way for PK-guided dosing next. Based upon single point PK sampling, pop-PK modelling could help personalizing dosing or scheduling, to ensure an optimal toxicity-efficacy ratio with Cetuximab. Trial Registration: Trial registration number is NCT 04218136.

Eugene Nicholas Myers' Lecture on Head and Neck Cancer, 2020: The Surgeon as a Prognostic Factor in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgery

Abstract This paper is a transcript of the 29th Eugene N. Myers, MD International Lecture on Head and Neck Cancer presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) in 2020. By the end of the 19th century, the survival rate in treated patients was 10%. With the improvements in surgical techniques, currently, about two thirds of patients survive for > 5 years. Teamwork and progress in surgical reconstruction have led to advancements in ablative surgery; the associated adjuvant treatments have further improved the prognosis in the last 30 years. However, prospective trials are lacking; most of the accumulated knowledge is based on retrospective series and some real-world data analyses. Current knowledge on prognostic factors plays a central role in an efficient treatment decision-making process. Although the influence of most tumor- and patient-related prognostic factors in head and neck cancer cannot be changed by medical interventions, some environmental factors—including treatment, decision-making, and quality—can be modified. Ideally, treatment strategy decisions should be taken in dedicated multidisciplinary team meetings. However, evidence suggests that surgeons and hospital volume and specialization play major roles in patient survival after initial or salvage head and neck cancer treatment. The metrics of surgical quality assurance (surgical margins and nodal yield) in neck dissection have a significant impact on survival in head and neck cancer patients and can be influenced by the surgeon's expertise. Strategies proposed to improve surgical quality include continuous performance measurement, feedback, and dissemination of best practice measures.

Evaluación de guías prácticas y preservación de la glándula submandibular en la disección del cuello / Evaluation of practice guidelines and preservation of the submandibular gland in neck dissection

Introducción: Las guías prácticas de atención al cáncer de cabeza y cuello abordan actualmente la preservación funcional de algunos órganos dentro del tratamiento oncoespecífico. Objetivos: Evaluar guías de práctica clínica y cómo abordan la preservación de la glándula submandibular en la disección del cuello. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación cuantitativa, descriptiva y transversal, donde se evaluaron seis guías de atención al cáncer de cabeza y cuello, en cuanto a su calidad metodológica y la preservación de la glándula submandibular en la disección del cuello. Se utilizó el instrumento Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation y se conformó un equipo compuesto por cuatro evaluadores que dieron su consentimiento y fueron capacitados en su uso. Para el análisis de la información se empleó el Statistical Package for Social Sciences versión 21 y se calculó la puntuación de calidad para cada dominio y el coeficiente de correlación intraclase. Resultados: La mayor puntuación de calidad correspondió a los dominios 1, 4 y 6. La guía con mayor puntuación de calidad fue la de la Sociedad Europea de Oncología Médica, con una media de 94,3 por ciento, mientras que la de la Sociedad China de Oncología Clínica obtuvo el menor valor para un 71,5 por ciento. Tres guías obtuvieron la máxima puntuación de calidad (7) en la evaluación global. La mayor fuerza de concordancia entre los evaluadores correspondió a la guía de la Sociedad Americana de Oncología Clínica (1) y la menor a la del Instituto Nacional de Oncología y Radiobiología (0,93). Conclusiones: Las guías de práctica clínica del cáncer de cabeza y cuello evaluadas presentaron una alta calidad metodológica y la preservación de la glándula submandibular en la disección del cuello no fue abordada en ninguna(AU)

Introduction: Practical guidelines for head and neck cancer care currently address the functional preservation of some organs within oncospecific treatment. Objectives: To evaluate clinical practice guidelines and how they address the preservation of the submandibular gland in neck dissection. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional research was carried out to evaluate six guidelines for head and neck cancer care, in terms of their methodological quality and the preservation of the submandibular gland in neck dissection. The Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation instrument was used, a team was composed by four evaluators who gave their consent and were trained to use such instrument. For the analysis of the information, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21 was used and the quality score for each domain and the intraclass correlation coefficient were calculated. Results: The highest quality score corresponded to domains 1, 4 and 6. The guide with the highest quality score was that of the European Society of Medical Oncology reporting an average of 94.3 percent, while that of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology obtained the lowest value (71.5 percent). Three guidelines had the highest quality score (7) in the global evaluation. The highest strength of agreement between the evaluators corresponded to the guideline of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (1) and the lowest to that of the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology (0.93). Conclusions: The head and neck cancer clinical practice guidelines evaluated presented high methodological quality and the preservation of the submandibular gland in neck dissection was not addressed in any of them(AU)

Alternative products in tropical treatment of radiation induced xerostomia: a systematic review / Produtos alternativos no tratamento tópico da xerostomia radioinduzida: uma revisão sistemática

Xerostomia, a term used to characterize the sensation of dry mouth, it is one of the most common symptoms after radiotherapy treatment of the head and neck region, being also the most expensive, impacting the oral health and quality of life of these patients. We performed a systematic review to identify topical treatments of natural composition in patients with radiation induced xerostomia. Searches were carried out in electronic databases such as the databases consulted were Cochrane library, PubMed (MEDLINE) and Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences ­ LILACS. The research was carried out from June to July 2022 the period admitted for the results were from 1990 to 2022. We included trials of topical interventions with natural composition such, medicinal mucilage, sprays, oils and chewing gums for the management of dry mouth symptom. Results: 6 studies fully met the desired criteria, totalizing 336 patients. The therapies based on natural products were compared with placebo or other treatments and the forms of presentation were spray, oil, medicinal mucilage, and gel. In general, there was an improvement in some signs and symptoms of xerostomia and the most described adverse effect was nausea. Natural composition products seem to be a good alternative therapy for the relief of xerostomia symptoms and their consistency and form of application seem to exert influence, as evidence is still scarce, more randomized and placebo-controlled clinical studies are needed.

A xerostomia é o termo utilizado para caracterizar a sensação de boca seca, sendo um dos sintomas mais comuns após o tratamento radioterápico da região de cabeça e pescoço e também o mais oneroso, impactando na saúde bucal e na qualidade de vida desses pacientes. Realizamos uma revisão sistemática para identificar tratamentos tópicos de composição natural em pacientes com xerostomia induzida por radiação. As buscas foram realizadas em bases de dados eletrônicas, sendo que as bases de dados consultadas foram a biblioteca Cochrane, PubMed (MEDLINE) e Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde ­ LILACS. A pesquisa foi realizada de junho a julho de 2022, o período admitido para os resultados foi de 1990 a 2022. Incluímos ensaios de intervenções tópicas com composição natural como mucilagem medicinal, sprays, óleos e gomas de mascar para o manejo do sintoma de boca seca. Nos resultados 6 estudos preencheram totalmente os critérios desejados, totalizando 336 pacientes. As terapias baseadas em produtos naturais foram comparadas com placebo ou outros tratamentos e as formas de apresentação foram spray, óleo, mucilagem e gel. Em geral, houve melhora de alguns sinais e sintomas da xerostomia e o efeito adverso mais descrito foi a náusea. Os produtos de composição natural parecem ser uma boa alternativa terapêutica para o alívio dos sintomas da xerostomia e sua consistência e forma de aplicação parecem exercer influência, como as evidências ainda são escassas, são necessários mais estudos clínicos randomizados e controlados por placebo.

Inpatient Decongestive Therapy for Lymphedema in Acute Postsurgical Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Abstract Introduction Head and neck lymphedema is an omnipresent morbidity related to head and neck cancer therapies. Studies on therapy for these patients in the acute postsurgical population have not been published to date. Objective To assess changes in the measurements of lymphedema in surgical head and neck cancer patients during the hospital stay with implementation of modified decongestive therapy (MDT). Methods Patients aged > 18 years undergoing neck dissection with or without primary-site resection or laryngectomy between 2016 and 2019 were included. Facial measurements were obtained prior to beginning MDT and again prior to discharge. A total facial composite measurement was calculated and used to assess change over time. Rates ≥ 2% of change were considered significant. Results A total of 38 patients were included (subsites: larynx = 27; thyroid =4; oral cavity = 3; and neck = 4). The mean number of days between surgery and the start of lymphedema therapy was 3.0 days. The mean number of days between measurements was 5.2 days. Reduction in the total composite score was observed in 37 (97%) patients, and 35 (92%) patients had a total composite reduction score > 2%. Tumor subsite and surgery type did not portend toward greater percent change, except for those patients treated with total laryngectomy, regional flap reconstruction, and neck dissection (p = 0.02). Conclusion Acute postsurgical inpatient MDT was associated with reduced total composite measurements in patients after head and neck surgery. As the first published study on lymphedema therapy in this acute postsurgical period, further prospective case-control studies are warranted to explore further benefits of acute therapy.

Comparison of Free Flap Outcomes at a University Hospital versus County Hospital Setting for Head and Neck Reconstruction

Abstract Introduction Patients at public county hospitals often have poorer access to healthcare with advanced disease on presentation. These factors, along with limited resources at county hospitals, may have an impact on outcomes for patients requiring complex head and neck reconstruction. Objectives To delineate differences in the frequency of complications in two different care settings, a public county hospital and a private university hospital. Methods Retrospective review of otolaryngology patients at a university hospital compared with a publicly-funded county hospital. The main outcome measure was major complications including total flap loss or unplanned reoperation in 30 days. Secondary outcome measures included medical complications, partial flap loss, and unplanned hospital readmission in 30 days. Results In the county hospital sample (n = 58) free flap failure or reoperation occurred in 20.7% of the patients, and minor complications, in 36.2% of the patients. In the university hospital sample (n = 65) flap failure or reoperation occurred in 9.2% of the patients, and minor complications, in 12.3% of the patients. Patients at the private hospital who had surgery in the oropharynx were least likely to have minor complications. Conclusions Patients at the county hospital had a higher but not statistically significant difference in flap failure and reoperation than those at a university hospital, although the county hospital experienced more minor postoperative complications. This is likely multifactorial, and may be related to poorer access to primary care preoperatively, malnutrition, poorly controlled or undiagnosed medical comorbidities, and differences in hospital resources.

Prognostic and predictive role of soluble programmed death ligand-1 in head and neck cancer

Abstract Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate clinical significance of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) serum level in head and neck cancer and to evaluate its role as a possible prognostic and predictive biomarker. Methods A prospective analysis of sPD-L1 levels in 60 patients diagnosed and treated due to malignant and non-malignant lesions in the region of head and neck was performed in peripheral blood by an ELISA test. Results The range of sPD-L1 in the study group was 0.16-1.63 ng/mL, mean 0.64 ± 0.32. There were no differences in the mean sPD-L1 regarding patients' age, sex, and the localization of the lesion. Statistically significant difference was revealed in the average sPD-L1 level (p = 0.006) depending on the histopathological advancement of the lesions, 0.704 ± 0.349 and 0.512 ± 0.177 respectively in the malignant and benign group. The separate analysis of laryngeal lesions confirmed statistical difference in sPD-L1 (p = 0.002) for the malignant lesions (0.741 ± 0.353) compared with the benign (0.489 ± 0.175). The sPD-L1 level of 0.765 ng/mL or higher, revealed 35% sensitivity and 95.5% specificity for the diagnosis of head and neck malignant lesions (AUC = 0.664, 95% CI 0.529‒0.8, p-value = 0.039). The 1-year DFS was 83.3% in the group of patients with low sPD-L1 levels (< 0.765 ng/mL) and 53.8% in patients with high sPD-L1 (≥0.765 ng/mL). The 2-year OS were 68% and 69.2% respectively in both groups. The log-rank test confirmed statistically significant prognostic value of sPD-L1 level for 1-year DFS (p-value = 0.035). Conclusions sPD-L1 is a promising prognostic and early recurrence predictive biomarker for head and neck cancers, most significantly for laryngeal lesions. Level of evidence 3.

Dry eye disease in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy

Purpose: To study the incidence of dry eye disease (DED) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), to find a correlation between tumor location and total radiation dose with DED, and to report various radiotherapy (RT) induced acute toxic effects on ocular and adnexal structures. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary eye?care center on 90 patients of HNC undergoing EBRT from March 2021 to May 2022. All underwent a thorough clinical history and complete ophthalmological examination including an ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire, visual acuity, anterior segment, angle and posterior segment examination, dry eye workup including the Schirmer test, tear meniscus height, tear break?up time, corneal fluorescein staining and grading, and meibography by auto?refractometer and its scoring at each visit. Patients were evaluated before the start of RT and then at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks post?RT. Radiation records of all patients were noted. Data were analyzed using percentage and Microsoft Excel. Results: Of the 90 patients, 66 were male and 24 female (M: F ratio of 2.75) with a median age of 52.5 years (range 24 to 80 years). The most common HNC was the carcinoma oral cavity and lip. Most patients received a total radiation dose between 46 to 55 Gy. DED developed in 48 (53.3%) patients. The incidence of DED increased with the increase in total radiation dose (r = 0.987). DED was also found to be correlated with tumor location (r = 0.983). Conclusion: The incidence of DED positively correlated with the total radiation dose and tumor location.

Inmunoterapia para el tratamiento del cáncer de cabeza y cuello ¿dónde estamos y hacia dónde vamos? / Immunotherapy for the treatment of head and neck cancer: where are we and where are we going?

El cáncer de cabeza y cuello comprende a todos aquellos tumores que se desarrollan en el tracto aerodigestivo superior, una de las características de éstos es su diversidad, que no es solo desde el punto de vista histológico y etiológico, sino que incluyen diversas formas de presentación, progresión y enfoques terapéuticos. Son de causa multifactorial, siendo el alcohol y el tabaco los principales factores de riesgo asociados; en los últimos años se ha relacionado a ciertos virus con potencial oncogénico con la génesis tumoral, entre ellos al Virus del Papiloma Humano, lo que ha permitido modificar el sistema de estadificación tumor primario-nodos linfáticos cancerosos-metástasis (TNM); presentándolo ahora en dos grandes grupos acorde a la Proteína supresora de tumores P16: P16+ y P16-,los cuales tienen características y manejo diferente. En vista de la heterogeneidad de la enfermedad, son diversos los tratamientos que se ha empleados para el manejo de la misma, entre ellos cirugía, radioterapia, quimioterapia e/o inmunoterapia; ésta última terapéutica, está dirigida hacia la estimulación del sistema inmune del paciente con la finalidad de generar la destrucción de las células tumorales, se realizan previo a una intervención quirúrgica para reducir el tamaño del tumor. Una forma destacable, es la del bloqueo de puntos de control inmunitarios, especialmente hacia proteínas de control inmune moduladoras de respuesta de células T, como los anti-PD-1 y los anti-CTLA-4. La inmunoterapia cada vez va tomando más protagonismo en oncología, en especial las formas de evasión de las reacciones inmunitarias por parte de las células cancerígenas(AU)

Head and neck cancer includes all those tumors that develop in the upper aerodigestive tract, one of the characteristics of these is their heterogeneity, which is not only from the histological and etiological, but also include various forms of presentation, progression and therapeutic approaches.They have a multifactorial cause, with alcohol and tobacco being the main associated risk factors, however, in recent year scertain viruses with oncogenic potential have been linked to tumor genesis, including HPV, which has made it possible tomodify the TNM staging system; now presenting it in two large groups, P16+ and P16-, which have different characteristics and management. In view of the heterogeneity of the disease, there are various treatments that have been used to manageit, including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and/ orimmunotherapy which will be determined taking into account the location and tumor extension. The latter treatment, is aimedat stimulating the patient's immune system in order to generate the destruction of tumor cells, are performed prior to a surgical intervention to reduce the size of the tumor. A remarkable therapy is that of blocking immune checkpoints, especially anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA. Immunotherapy is becoming more and more prominent, however, there is still much to discover, so we believe that we should continue investigating the ways of evasion of immune reactions by cancer cells(AU)

Comparative Analysis of the Quality of Life in the Pretreatment of Head and Neck Cancer Patients According to Tumor Site

Abstract Introduction Head and neck cancer (HNC) and its treatment can cause physical, psychological, and quality of life (QoL) damage, because it can disturb the physiology of eating, breathing, speaking, and compromise self-image. Objective To evaluate the QoL of the pretreatment of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer according to the anatomical location of the tumor. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 144 patients undergoing pretreatment for cancer from February 2017 to July 2019. The University of Washington QoL Questionnaire (version 4) was used to assess the QoL. The anatomical location data were obtained from medical records. The ANOVA test was used to compare the differences in QoL according to tumor location. Results A total of 144 participants were included, 66 (45.5%) of whom had the primary tumor located in the mouth. The median age of the patients was 62 years, with a higher prevalence of male (75.7%), Black (78.5%), single/divorced/widowed people (59%), and illiterates (32.6%); most of them were smokers (84.7%) and alcohol drinkers (79.2%). The mean QoL score was 830 for mouth cancer, 858 for pharynx cancer, and 891 for laryngeal cancer patients. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that the QoL of patients with head and neck cancer was not influenced by tumor location. The most affected domains in the three groups were pain, appearance, chewing, swallowing, and speech (p < 0.05).

Types and Incidence of Moderate and Severe Toxic Effects of Carbon Ion Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Head and neck tumors often have complex anatomical structures and are adjacent to important organs. Radiation injury caused by conventional radiotherapy technology is the main dose-limiting factor. Carbon ion beam has become the most ideal radiation to replace photon due to its excellent relative biological effect and Bragg peak. By 2019, 32 000 people worldwide have received carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT). Despite the efficient tumor killing ability of this technology, radiation injury cannot be avoided. This article reviews the types and incidence of moderate to severe radiation injury caused by CIRT in head and neck cancer to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential risks in CIRT.

Deep learning-based dose prediction in radiotherapy planning for head and neck cancer / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To propose an deep learning-based algorithm for automatic prediction of dose distribution in radiotherapy planning for head and neck cancer.@*METHODS@#We propose a novel beam dose decomposition learning (BDDL) method designed on a cascade network. The delivery matter of beam through the planning target volume (PTV) was fitted with the pre-defined beam angles, which served as an input to the convolution neural network (CNN). The output of the network was decomposed into multiple sub-fractions of dose distribution along the beam directions to carry out a complex task by performing multiple simpler sub-tasks, thus allowing the model more focused on extracting the local features. The subfractions of dose distribution map were merged into a distribution map using the proposed multi-voting mechanism. We also introduced dose distribution features of the regions-of-interest (ROIs) and boundary map as the loss function during the training phase to serve as constraining factors of the network when extracting features of the ROIs and areas of dose boundary. Public datasets of radiotherapy planning for head and neck cancer were used for obtaining the accuracy of dose distribution of the BDDL method and for implementing the ablation study of the proposed method.@*RESULTS@#The BDDL method achieved a Dose score of 2.166 and a DVH score of 1.178 (P < 0.05), demonstrating its superior prediction accuracy to that of current state-ofthe-art (SOTA) methods. Compared with the C3D method, which was in the first place in OpenKBP-2020 Challenge, the BDDL method improved the Dose score and DVH score by 26.3% and 30%, respectively. The results of the ablation study also demonstrated the effectiveness of each key component of the BDDL method.@*CONCLUSION@#The BDDL method utilizes the prior knowledge of the delivery matter of beam and dose distribution in the ROIs to establish a dose prediction model. Compared with the existing methods, the proposed method is interpretable and reliable and can be potentially applied in clinical radiotherapy.

Radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: oral complications and treatment / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Radiotherapy, as a common modality for the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC), frequently induces oral and maxillofacial complications. However, the complex tissues and diverse pathogeneses of these regions lead to limited treatment protocols and research progress currently. This paper systematically summarizes radiation-induced oral mucositis, salivary gland injury, and dental caries in radiotherapy for HNC and reviews existing pathogenetic hypotheses, treatment, and research progress. The purpose is to provide some reference for further research on relevant pathological mechanisms and the development of new preventive and treatment methods.

An evidence summary on the management of oral and pharyngeal symptom cluster in patients with head and neck cancer during radiotherapy / 中华临床营养杂志

Objective:To summarize the evidence from guidelines, consensus and systematic reviews and provide the optimal recommendations on the management of oral and pharyngeal symptom cluster in patients with head and neck cancer during radiotherapy.Methods:National Guidelines Clearinghouse and databases such as CNKI and PubMed were searched for publications on pain management from January 2016 to March 2023, and for publications on other symptom management from the establishment of database to March 2023. Quality of included articles was evaluated, data were extracted, and evidence were synthesized.Results:We included 28 guidelines, 19 expert consensus, and 16 systematic reviews. The evidence synthesis included 144 items covering 12 aspects, namely general principles, assessment, optimizing radiotherapy plan, oral care, swallowing function intervention, nutritional management, psychosocial intervention, physical intervention, medication, other interventions, health education, and follow-up.Conclusion:Evidence about the management of oral and pharyngeal symptom cluster was adequate. Considering the interaction between various symptoms, healthcare professionals could integrate management measures and construct multimodal management plan for the management of oral and pharyngeal symptom cluster in patients with head and neck cancer during radiotherapy.