ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the serial changes in the volume of the parotid gland and clinical symptoms after a course of radiation therapy (RT) in patients with oropharyngeal cancer. Methods: A total of 33 patients who were diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer and had been treated with RT or concurrent chemoradiation therapy were evaluated. Parotid gland volumes were measured serially by head and neck computed tomography with contrast-enhanced images before RT, and 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after RT. Patients also filled out EORTC (European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer) QLQ-C30 questionnaires on the quality of life (QOL) at the same time. This questionnaire included questions about salivary gland function: dry mouth, sticky saliva, and taste disorder. Higher scores on EORTC questionnaire translates to worse QOL. Results: All patients received more than 60 Gy irradiation in total. The mean volume of parotid gland decreased from 23.30 mL before RT to 15.80 mL, 15.93 mL, and 16.67 mL after 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years, respectively (P < 0.001 between pre-RT and all other 3 periods). The scores on the QOL questionnaire were higher (worsened QOL) at all 3 times after radiation than in the pre-RT period. The mean score of QOL increased from pre-RT to 2 years post-RT: "dry mouth" from 1.65 to 2.70, "sticky saliva" from 1.19 to 2.00, and "taste disorder" from 1.12 to 1.94. All 3 of these parameters were correlated with the volume of the parotid gland (P < 0.005 each). Conclusions: The volume of the parotid gland decreases significantly after RT for oropharyngeal cancer and does not recover significantly for at least 2 years. There was a significant correlation between decreased parotid volume and a lower QOL involving salivation.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the positive rate of human papillomavirus (HPV) and its trend in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in South Korea and to evaluate the clinical differences between HPV-positive and -negative tumors. METHODS: We studied 300 patients with HNSCC arising in the oropharynx (n = 77), oral cavity (n = 65), larynx (n = 106), hypopharynx (n = 40), and sinonasal cavity (n = 12), treated in a tertiary university hospital in South Korea from January 2008 to July 2020. HPV status was determined using p16 immunohistochemical staining of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. RESULTS: Of the 300 patients with HNSCC, the positive rate of p16 was 30.3% (91/300). The p16 positive rate was 70.1, 13.9, 20.8, 15, and 0% in the oropharynx, oral cavity, larynx, hypopharynx, and sinonasal cavity, respectively. HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients were significantly younger than HPV-negative OPSCC patients. The positive rate of HPV in OPSCC has increased over time from 2008 to 2020, but has not changed significantly in the other primary sites. The disease-free survival curve of HPV-positive OPSCC was significantly better than that of HPV-negative tumors. CONCLUSION: The positive rate of HPV in Korean patients with OPSCC is significantly high (70.1%), similar to that in North America and Europe, and has increased abruptly in the past 12 years.
ABSTRACT
Inflammatory myofibrolastic tumor (IMT) is a rare borderline neoplasm. It frequently occurs in the lung but occasionally occurs in extrapulmonary sites such as the genitourinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, breast, salivary glands, sinonasal tract, orbit, and the central nervous system. Laryngeal involvement of IMT is very rare.A 61-year-old woman who complained of hoarseness persisting for 3 months visited our hospital. Laryngoscopy showed an elevated lesion in the right true vocal cord. Incisional biopsy was confirmed as larygeal inflammatory myofibrolastic tumor. We performed a transoral excision with CO2 LASER under suspension examination. Regional recurrence or distant metastasis was not observed after 9 months of follow-up. Herein we report a case of larygeal inflammatory myofibrolastic tumor that was treated with surgery alone, with a literature review.
