Efficacy of Chemotherapy After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Discontinuation in Head and Neck Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have become widely used becuse of their effectiveness and relatively low rate of severe adverse events. However, active treatment should be continued after discontinuation of ICI as response rates are lower than that of conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. The purpose of the present study was to determine the efficacy of treatment after ICI discontinuation. METHODS: This was a retrospective study from hospital charts of 99 consecutive cases treated with ICI at our facility since 2017. Of these, 79 cases of squamous cell carcinoma which had already discontinued ICI were enrolled in the present study. RESULTS: After discontinuation of ICI, 40 cases received active treatment with salvage chemotherapy (SCTx; 33 cases) or surgery or radiotherapy (seven patients) and 39 cases received nonactive treatment. SCTx comprising paclitaxel and cetuximab (PTX-Cmab) was administered to 15 cases and other SCTx regimens to 18 cases. A significant increase in overall survival (OS) was observed with active treatment compared with nonactive treatment. No significant differences in OS or progression-free survival (PFS) were observed between SCTx regimens; however, there was a trend toward increased survival with PTX-Cmab. Univariate analysis of overall response rate (ORR) demonstrated significant differences in the site of disease at ICI and SCTx regimens. A significant difference in disease control rate was observed between SCTx regimens. Multivariate analysis of ORR demonstrated a significant correlation with PTX-Cmab treatment. CONCLUSION: Active treatment after ICI discontinuation and the use of PTX-Cmab as SCTx may increase OS in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:228-235, 2024.

p16 status and high-risk human papilloma virus infection in squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule.

OBJECTIVE: The status of human papilloma virus (HPV) and p16 overexpression for nasal vestibule squamous cell carcinoma (NVSCC) is unclear. The purpose of this retrospective study was to analyze the presence of HPV and the role of p16 overexpression as a surrogate marker in cases of NVSCC. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed on patients who were diagnosed and treated for NVSCC at the University of Tokyo Hospital, Japan. p16 immunohistochemistry was considered positive with at least moderate staining intensity and diffuse staining (≥75% of tumor cells), according to the 8th edition of the American Joint Commission on Cancer. HPV-DNA testing was performed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Five patients were included in the study. Ages ranged from 55 to 78 years; there were two men and three women; two had T2N0, and three had T4aN0. Surgery was performed in one case, surgery plus radiation therapy (RT) in one case, and chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in three cases. Four of the five tumors showed p16 overexpression. One of five cases had an HPV-16 genotype. The mean follow-up period was 73 months, and all the patients survived. One patient with p16-negative carcinoma had local recurrence and underwent salvage surgery. Of the four patients with p16-positive carcinoma, one with CRT and one with surgery plus RT, each had delayed cervical lymph node metastasis, which was salvaged with neck dissection subsequent RT. CONCLUSIONS: In NVSCC, four of the five cases were p16-positive, and one was high-risk HPV infection.

Yersinia enterocolitica Enteritis Diagnosed with Erythema Nodosum.

We herein report a rare case of Yersinia enterocolitica enteritis with a fever and abdominal pain followed by erythema nodosum (EN) a few days later. The diagnosis was confirmed based on characteristic colonoscopy and computed tomography findings, pathology, and mucosal culture. Yersinia enteritis is a curable disease provided a proper diagnosis and treatment are performed. Although EN is a rare clinical course, it should still be considered as a differential diagnosis.

Tumor-stroma ratio can predict lymph-node metastasis in cT1/2N0 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma independent of tumor budding grade.

BACKGROUND: cT1/2 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) often metastasizes to cervical lymph nodes. However, predicting neck lymph-node metastasis (NLM) remains challenging. Pathomorphological evaluation of tumor budding grade (TBG) and tumor-stroma ratio (TSR) reportedly can predict lymph-node metastases. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate TBG and TSR in OTSCC and investigate their relationship to occult NLM and cancer relapse. METHODS: Clinicopathological data of patients with cT1/2N0 OTSCC treated at the University of Tokyo Hospital between 2007 and 2017 were collected. TBG and TSR were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin staining and cytokeratin AE1/AE3 immunostaining. RESULTS: Out of 70 patients, 16 underwent elective neck dissection in addition to primary-tumor resection, whereas 54 did not. During follow-up, NLM was found in 35 patients. NLM correlated with the pathological depth of invasion (pDOI) (p < 0.001), TBG (p = 0.008), and TSR (p < 0.001) in univariate analysis and pDOI (p = 0.01) and TSR (p = 0.02) in multivariate analysis. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate (RFS) was 78% for patients with a pDOI ≤ 5 mm and stroma-poor tumors and 33% for patients with a pDOI > 5 mm and stroma-rich tumors. CONCLUSION: Patients with a pDOI > 5 mm and stroma-rich tumors have a high risk for cancer relapse. TSR and pDOI may be promising NLM predictors in cT1/2N0 OTSCC.

Real-world treatment patterns and outcomes in Japanese patients with cervical esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cervical esophageal cancer (CEC) carries a poor prognosis; however, due to its low incidence, optimal treatment for CEC remains to be established. The purpose of this study was to clarify the current status of treatment of CEC in Japan and obtain evidence for establishing the appropriate treatment method. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We asked specialist training facilities accredited by the Japanese Broncho-Esophageal Society to register data on CEC cases that received curative treatment from January 2009 to December 2014, and conducted a retrospective review of the clinical data of 302 cases registered from 27 facilities. RESULTS: In regard to the initial therapy, of the 302 patients, 33 had undergone endoscopic resection, 41 had undergone surgery, 67 had received induction chemotherapy (IC), and 143 had received chemoradiotherapy (CRT). There were no significant differences in the 5-year overall survival rates among the patient groups that had received surgery, IC or CRT as the initial treatment; advanced stage and recurrent nerve invasion were identified as independent poor prognostic factors. Among the patients who had received IC or CRT as laryngeal-preserving surgery was not indicated at the time of the initial diagnosis, the functional laryngeal preservation rate at the end of the observation period was 34.8%. CONCLUSION: Even in patients with advanced CEC, there is the possibility of preserving the larynx by adopting IC or CRT. However, if the laryngeal function cannot be preserved, there is a risk of complications from aspiration pneumonia, so that the choice of treatment should be made carefully.

Usefulness of circulating tumor DNA by targeting human papilloma virus-derived sequences as a biomarker in p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer.

In head and neck cancer, early detection of recurrence after treatment is important. The contemporary development of therapeutic agents have improved the prognosis after recurrence; however, no biomarker has been established for evaluating therapeutic effects or detecting recurrence. Recently, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), which comprises DNA derived from tumor cells and exists in the form of cell-free DNA in the blood, has attracted attention as a minimally invasive and repeatable biomarker for detecting cancer. We validated the usefulness of ctDNA of human papilloma virus (HPV)-derived sequences as a biomarker in HPV-related p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer by assessing 25 patients with p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer. Blood samples were collected from each patient at multiple time points during the treatment, and the plasma was preserved. The ctDNA was extracted from the plasma and analyzed using digital polymerase chain reaction. HPV-derived ctDNA was detected in 14 (56%) of the 25 patients. In all the patients, the samples were found to be ctDNA-negative after initial treatment. Cancer recurrence was observed in 2 of the 14 patients; HPV-derived ctDNA was detected at the time of recurrence. Our results indicate that HPV-derived ctDNA can be a prospective biomarker for predicting the recurrence of p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer.

Persistent collection of antibiotic ointment masquerading as a lipoma arising at a surgical site.

Antibiotic ointments are often used to treat or prevent infections in surgical wounds. However, due to a dearth of reports on adverse effects, the complications of the use of such ointments, especially possible long-term effects, are largely unknown. We experienced a unique case of a cystic lesion that developed after surgical site infection treated with gentamicin ointment in a 62-year-old man who underwent subtotal glossectomy for tongue cancer. The antibiotic ointment that was applied following abscess drainage remained there, replacing the abscess cavity and forming an oval mass. The lesion was found incidentally on follow-up MR examination to monitor cancer recurrence. On both T1- and T2-weighted images, it showed high-intensity reflecting oily base material, constituting the ointment, which appeared to be a fat-containing tumor such as a lipoma that had arisen at the surgical site. Echo-guided drainage extracted the ointment, which was seemingly unaltered from the time it was applied 11 months before. We describe the clinical course and imaging findings to acknowledge this potential adverse effect associated with topical antibiotic treatment for surgical site infection.

The prognostic value of TP53 mutations in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancers. Previous studies reported that TP53 mutations correlated with poor prognoses in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the relationship between TP53 mutations and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) is not known. The current study aimed to evaluate TP53 mutation status as a predictive biomarker in patients with HPSCC. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical charts of 57 HPSCC patients treated with initial surgery between 2008 and 2014. TP53 mutation status was determined by Sanger sequencing, and patients were classified into wild-type, missense mutation, and truncating mutation groups. Additionally, p53 expression was determined using immunohistochemistry in surgical specimens. RESULTS: TP53 mutations were identified in 39 (68%) patients. The 3-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rate of wild-type, missense mutation, and truncating mutation group were 94%, 61%, and 43%, respectively. The TP53 mutation group displayed significantly worse DSS and overall survival rates than the wild-type group (P = 0.01 and P = 0.007, respectively). Multivariate analyses revealed that the presence of TP53 mutations and ≥4 metastatic lymph nodes were independent adverse prognostic factors for HPSCC. p53 immunopositivity was detected in 22 patients, including 5 (28%) and 17 (71%) patients in the wild-type and missense mutation groups, whereas none of the patients with truncating mutation exhibited p53 immunopositivity (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The TP53 mutation status correlated with poor prognosis in surgically treated HPSCC patients. Specifically, truncating mutations which were not detected by p53 immunohistochemistry were predictive of worst survival.

Prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion of the primary tumor in hypopharyngeal carcinoma after total laryngopharyngectomy.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determinate the prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion in the specimens resected during total laryngopharyngectomy for hypopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: Patients who underwent total laryngopharyngectomy at our institution between 2004 and 2014 were included in this study and retrospectively analyzed. We then discriminated for vascular invasion and lymphatic invasion of the primary tumor in all cases. RESULTS: We reviewed 135 records (120 men and 15 women; age range, 36-84 years). Tumors with lymphatic invasion tended to be associated with more metastatic lymph nodes and extracapsular spread (ECS) of metastatic lymph nodes. Tumors with vascular invasion tended to be associated with nonpyriform sinus locations. In a multivariate analysis, nonpyriform sinus locations, >3 metastatic lymph nodes, and vascular invasion remained significant prognostic factors for overall survival (OS); in recursive partitioning analysis, ECS and vascular invasion remained important categorical variables for OS. CONCLUSION: Vascular invasion is a strong prognostic biomarker for advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1535-1543, 2017.

Survival impact of local extension sites in surgically treated patients with temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a rare malignancy. Due to its low incidence rate, studies involving TSCC treatment are limited. The aim of this study is to define the prognostic factors of surgery for TSCC by evaluating our clinical experience. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical charts of patients presenting at the University of Tokyo Hospital between 2001 and 2014 and identified 33 patients with TSCC who had been treated with surgery as initial curative treatment. RESULTS: Lateral and subtotal temporal bone resections were performed in 17 and 16 patients, respectively. The 5-year disease-specific and overall survival rate were 71 and 62%, respectively. The significant poor prognostic factors were pathological T4 (P = 0.03), dural invasion (P = 0.008), temporomandibular joint invasion (P = 0.04), and a positive surgical margin (P = 0.009). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the outcome of curative surgery for TSCC as initial treatment was favorable. However, because of the difficulty to ensure an adequate or clear surgical margin due to anatomical complexity, the surgical indication for T4 TSCC with temporomandibular joint invasion should be reconsidered.

Maxillary carcinosarcoma: Identification of a novel MET mutation in both carcinomatous and sarcomatous components through next generation sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Carcinosarcoma is a rare tumor with biphasic growth of the carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. Prognosis is generally poor and characterization of the molecular mechanisms may provide information for the development of novel antitumor agents and biomarkers. METHODS AND RESULTS: We present the case of 66-year-old man with a complaint of nasal obstruction. He was diagnosed with maxillary carcinosarcoma and coexisting papilloma. He underwent multimodal treatment but died of uncontrolled local disease 10 months after the initial presentation. Genetic testing using next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed that both the carcinomatous and sarcomatous components carried a somatic mutation in the conserved domain of the mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) proto-oncogene. CONCLUSION: Our observation highlighted the importance of the MET gene in the oncogenesis of maxillary carcinosarcoma and is indicative of the common clonal origin of both malignant components. This suggested a possibility of treating MET mutation-positive carcinosarcomas with c-MET inhibitors.

Detection of lung tumors in mice using a 1-tesla compact magnetic resonance imaging system.

Due to their small size, lung tumors in rodents are typically investigated using high-field magnetic resonance (MR) systems (4.7 T or higher) to achieve higher signal-to-noise ratios, although low-field MR systems are less sensitive to susceptibility artifacts caused by air in the lung. We investigated the feasibility of detecting lung tumors in living, freely breathing mice with a 1-T compact permanent magnet MR system. In total, 4 mice were used, and MR images of mouse lungs were acquired using a T1-weighted three-dimensional fast low-angle shot sequence without cardiac or respiratory gating. The delineation and size of lung tumors were assessed and compared with histopathological findings. Submillimeter lesions were demonstrated as hyperintense, relative to the surrounding lung parenchyma, and were delineated clearly. Among the 13 lesions validated in histopathological sections, 11 were detected in MR images; the MR detection rate was thus 84.6%. A strong correlation was obtained in size measurements between MR images and histological sections. Thus, a dedicated low-field MR system can be used to detect lung tumors in living mice noninvasively without gating.

[Frequency and distributions of cervical lymph node metastases in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVES: To examine the frequency and distribution of cervical lymph node metastases in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and the necessities of prophylactic treatment of the neck. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a retrospective study of 242 patients with SCC of the oropharynx treated by surgery as the initial therapy at the National Cancer Center East Hospital from 1994 to 2008, excluding 53 patients who had local recurrences and 9 patients who had previously undergone neck dissection for metastasis from an unknown primary. We defined "potential lymph node metastases" as cases pathologically positive for lymph node metastases and/or secondary lymph node metastases and analyzed the necessity of prophylactic neck dissection for cases clinically negative for cervical metastases. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty patients (148 males, 32 females) were included. The median age was 62 years (35 to 78). The clinical stages were Stage I in 20 patients, Stage II in 36 patients, Stage III in 39 patients, and Stage IV in 85 patients. In the ipsilateral neck of 70 patients at clinical stage N0, 15 patients (21.4%) were positive for potential lymph node metastases. There was no significant difference in the frequency of metastases by subsite. In terms of T classification, the positivity rates were 5.0% in patients at T1, 19.4% at T2, 44.4% at T3, and 60.0% at T4. In the contralateral neck of 70 patients at clinical stage N0, only 2 patients (2.9%) were positive for potential lymph node metastases. In the contralateral neck of 93 patients at clinical stage N1, N2a, or N2b (i.e., unilateral lymph node swelling), 16 patients (17.2%) were positive for potential lymph node metastases. The positivity rates by subsite were higher in patients with anterior, superior and posterior wall cancer than those with lateral wall cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In the ipsilateral neck of patients at clinical stage N0, prophylactic neck dissection is not necessary for patients at T1 but necessary for those at T3 or T4. In the contralateral neck of such patients, prophylactic neck dissection is not recommended. In the contralateral neck of patients with unilateral lymph node swelling, prophylactic neck dissection is recommended for patients with anterior, superior or posterior wall cancer.

Clinical significance of KRAS gene mutation and epidermal growth factor receptor expression in Japanese patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx.

PURPOSE: The significance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling has been recognized in various cancers and anti-EGFR therapies in Japan are currently under consideration in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) similar to colorectal cancer. However, there was no established survey regarding heterogeneous EGFR protein expression in Japanese SCCHN patients. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between EGFR expression or KRAS mutation (related to the alteration of EGFR pathway) and the clinicopathological characteristics of SCCHN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined the expression of EGFR protein by immunohistochemistry and KRAS gene mutation at codons 12 and 13 by using paraffin-embedded and formalin-fixed primary tumor tissues from 205 patients with SCCHN who underwent surgery at National Cancer Center Hospital East. RESULTS: In 200 of the 205 patients (97.6 %), EGFR protein was expressed despite intratumoral heterogeneity. No patients had KRAS mutation at codons 12 or 13, and all 183 tumors showed wild-type KRAS. Positive rate of EGFR protein expression was significantly associated with better disease free survival (DFS) (P = 0.0471) and the intensity of EGFR protein expression showed a tendency for better DFS (P = 0.1034). Both higher EGFR positive rate and more intense EGFR expression were significantly associated with well differentiated subtype of squamous cell carcinoma (P = 0.0003 and P = 0.0007, respectively). CONCLUSION: Most SCCHN patients may be good candidates for the anti-EGFR therapies.

General view of orthoses.

Braces and/or orthoses are one of the useful tools for treating stroke patients. Orthoses work to substitute for mechanical and/or functional impairments. This article discusses what orthoses are, what the purposes of orthoses are, how the orthoses are made, how long it takes to make the braces, and who makes them. Although braces and orthoses are heavier and tighter than usual shoes and clothing, they help patients a great deal in performing activities of daily living.

Stroke rehabilitation and long leg brace.

Although a short leg brace (SLB) is mainly used for stroke rehabilitation, we should also remember the value of a long leg brace (LLB). The indications for LLB are discussed. For example, a LLB provides stability for the knee. The LLB can be used in any situation that creates instability for the knee. The practice of a 155-bed medium-sized rehabilitation hospital in Japan is investigated regarding stroke rehabilitation and the LLB from October 2001 to October 2003. The LLB was prescribed to 12 patients. If the patients made good progress, the LLB was converted to an SLB. The period of conversion from LLB to SLB shows the improvement of the conditions. Patients were divided into three groups according to the period of the conversion: less than 14 days, more than 15 days, and no conversion. Comparing the FIM points, there are more points for patients whose brace is converted in less than 14 days but there is a greater improvement in FIM points when the brace is converted in more than 14 days. It is advised that the patients who have the worse conditions should have the LLB earlier because then these patients can concentrate on their rehabilitation program and are not disturbed by the conversion of the brace.