ABSTRACT
Previously, head and neck cancer (HNC) patients in Greenland have had significant diagnostic delay and poor survival rates. From 2005-2009 several initiatives have been made to ensure faster diagnosis and better survival. The aim of this study was to compare the prognosis before and after these initiatives were introduced. All Greenlandic patients diagnosed with HNC between 2005 and 2012 were included. Data were retrieved from medical records and national databases and compared with the period 1994-2003. A total of 98 patients were identified. Diagnostic delay was significantly lower compared to the period 1994-2004 (p=0.048). The 3-year overall survival was 56% for all HNC and 47% for nasopharyngeal carcinomas. We found that patients with HNC between 1994 and 2003 had a higher risk of death from all reasons compared with the period 2005-2012 (HR 2.17; CI 1.46-3.23) after adjustments for stage and diagnostic delay. Patients with head HNC in Greenland from 2005-2012 were diagnosed earlier and had a better overall survival compared to the period 1994-2003. The change in survival is more likely to be due to improvement in treatment rather than the initiated interventions. Although survival has improved in Greenland, demographic problems and lack of specialists remain a challenge.
Subject(s)
Head and Neck Neoplasms/diagnosis , Head and Neck Neoplasms/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Arctic Regions/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Delayed Diagnosis/mortality , Female , Greenland/epidemiology , Head and Neck Neoplasms/mortality , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Severity of Illness Index , Sex Factors , Survival Rate , Young AdultABSTRACT
Polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma is a rare tumour of the rhinopharynx. This is a case report of a 32-year-old Danish man who was treated by primary surgical excision in Hong Kong via the maxillary swing approach and post-operative irradiation therapy in Denmark. Since September 2012 this surgical modality has been offered at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/surgery , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/surgery , Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures/methods , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Adult , Humans , Male , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous disease of unknown pathogenesis. It can affect numerous organs but most commonly involves the respiratory tract. On rare occasions it only involves the larynx. We describe a case of isolated laryngeal sarcoidosis in a teenage girl with symptoms of hoarseness, snoring and dyspnoea. The diagnosis was supported by detection of granulomatous inflammation in a laryngeal biopsy. She was successfully treated by surgical excision of the granulomatous swellings of the arytenoids and epiglottis combined with inhaled corticosteroids.
