ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hematological side effects are not generally expected due to radiotherapy involving limited radiation fields; however, patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCH and N) receiving radiation therapy frequently have chronic intraoral infections. Xerostomia has been implicated as a cause of it, but local or systemic immune alterations are not usually considered. METHODS: With the purpose of evaluating the impact of radiotherapy treatment to different anatomic sites on immune function, 70 patients were evaluated during and after radiotherapy: 50 cases with SCCH and N, 10 with squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix (SCCUC) and 10 patients with central nervous system tumors (CNS). We analyzed lymphocyte counts and T-cell subsets, and over time, their association with the presence of intracellular infections and disease-free survival. RESULTS: Severe lymphopenia was observed in patients with SCCUC and SCCH and N by the fifth week of treatment. Patients with CNS tumors developed mild lymphopenia. In patients with SCCH and N and UC, lower counts were seen in B cells and total T lymphocyte counts including both CD4(+) and CD8(+) cell subsets. The patients with SCCUC recovered lymphocyte counts by the 24th month but T-cell subsets lagged behind. None of the SCCH and N patients had fully recovered by 60 months of follow-up. Recurrence correlates with low lymphocyte counts. DISCUSSION: This work highlights the vulnerability of the head and neck area to the impact of radiotherapy as a reservoir of lymphoid cells. The possibility of recovery as a consequence of thymopoiesis and/or peripheral clonal expansion may limit the antigen-specific recognition of relevant tumor or microbial antigens and cause significant and prolonged immune alterations that may impact long-term survival.
Subject(s)
Head and Neck Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Lymphopenia/immunology , Neoplasms, Squamous Cell/radiotherapy , Radiotherapy/adverse effects , Adult , Central Nervous System Neoplasms/immunology , Central Nervous System Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Head and Neck Neoplasms/immunology , Humans , Immunologic Memory/immunology , Immunologic Memory/radiation effects , Lymphocyte Count , Lymphopenia/etiology , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasms, Squamous Cell/immunology , Prospective Studies , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/radiation effects , Time Factors , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/immunology , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/radiotherapyABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Primary lymphoma of bone (PLB) is a rare clinical-pathological entity representing less than 1% of all lymphomas. This work was aimed to review the presentation characteristics of PLB at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología including its management and evolution. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty cases of lymphoma of bone were diagnosed between 1972 and 1999 from a database including 577 patients with lymphoma. Among them, only 8 patients (1.36% of the total lymphomas) met the criteria set out to be diagnosed as primary lymphoma of bone, stage IE. In all patients, diagnosis was histopathologically made through open biopsy, and they were classified in accordance with the former criteria of the Working Formulation (WF). This review applied the current criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO). RESULTS: Three women and five men with a mean age of 40 years (range 20-65) were identified. Mean physical performance (Karnofsky) was 80%. Six patients presented clinically evident disease of the affected region. The most frequent symptom was pain at the site of the lesion in 3 patients, being the cardinal symptom in 1 patient. Histological diagnosis was diffuse large cell lymphoma, and B immunophenotype was confirmed in 5 patients. Five patients received sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy; 1 patient received chemotherapy; and 2 patients received exclusive radiotherapy. The chemotherapy regimes were based on anthracyclines. Five patients presented complete response and 3 patients showed progressive disease. One patient showing complete response relapse 16 years after the treatment. The mean follow-up in this series was 60 months (range 3-190 months). Tumor localization and functional condition of the patient were the best prognostic factors. Surgery was not therapeutic in any case. CONCLUSIONS: PLB still remains a rare clinical-pathological entity, and represented 1.3% of total lymphomas in this series. Sequential anthracycline-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the most important therapeutic choices. Functional condition of patients at diagnosis and tumor localization were the most accurate prognostic factors.
Subject(s)
Bone Neoplasms , Lymphoma , Adult , Aged , Bone Neoplasms/diagnosis , Bone Neoplasms/therapy , Female , Humans , Lymphoma/diagnosis , Lymphoma/therapy , Male , Middle Aged , PrognosisABSTRACT
Durante el periodo de 1982 a 1993, 27 pacientes adultos con diagnóstico de sarcoma de cabeza y cuello fueron evaluados en el Instituto Nacional de Cancerología de México(INcan). En 25 casos se revisaron los bloques de parafina para la confirmación del diagnóstico histológico. La edad promedio fue de 36.8 años. El sexo mas afectado fue el femenino (63 por ciento). El sitio de localización más frecuente fue la cabeza (59 por ciento). Las estirpes histológicas más frecuentes fueron el rabdiomiosarcoma y shcwannoma maligno (29.6 por ciento para cada variedad). El 85 por ciento de los tumores eran de alto grado. El tratamiento de elección fue la excisión amplia con o sin radioterapia adyuvante. La supervivencia más prolongada se observó en los pacientes con tumores bien diferenciados o de hasta 5.0 cm de diámetro. El 62.9 por ciento de los casos se presentó con tumores mayores de 5.0 cm. La supervivencia global fue de 36.6 meses, siendo del 59 por ciento y 18.5 a dos y cinco años, respectivamente. La terapia agresiva en estas neoplasias ofrece los mejores resultados de control local a largo plazo
