Wire-guided localization and surgical resection of non-palpable recurrent of thyroid carcinoma: A STROBE-compliant, retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Information on hook-wire guided (HWG) surgery for non-palpable thyroid carcinoma (TC), locoregional-recurrent disease (LRRD) is scarce. We analyze the results of HWG resection compared with the traditional procedure. METHODS: Cohort study performed between January 2016 and December 2020. Patients with TC and non-palpable LRRD were included. A "Standard cohort", patients with non-HWG resection and "HWG cohort", with HWG resection of LRRD were defined. Surgical morbidity, re-recurrent/progressive disease (RRD), and re-recurrence-free survival (RRFS) were defined. RESULTS: 43 and 23 patients were assigned to the Standard or HWG cohorts, respectively. Complications occurred in 28 % and 17.3 % of cases, in control or HWG cohorts, respectively. HWG cohort, size of primary TC, 131I dose >150 mCi, and thyroglobulin level >1 ng/ml at detection of LRRD were associated with RRD. HWG cohort, thyroglobulin level at LRRD, 131I treatment, and dose were associated with RRFS. CONCLUSIONS: HWG surgery of non-palpable TC LRRD had improved results regarding surgical morbidity, RRD, and RRFS.

LKB-1 Expression and High-Risk Histopathology are Independent Prognostic Factors for Patients with Oral Cavity Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The expression of liver kinase B1 (LKB-1) has been associated with prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (SCCOC). This study aimed to define the prognostic role of LKB-1 expression for patients with SCCOC and the suitability of its integration into a multivariate prognostic model. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients with SCCOC was conducted in a cancer center. Expression of LKB-1 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and multivariate analysis defined prognostic factors associated with recurrence, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). The logistic regression model was used to construct a predictive computer software program. RESULTS: Of the 201 patients in this study, 104 (51.7%) experienced recurrence of their disease. Lower expression of LKB-1, high-risk histopathology, and advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages were independent factors via multivariate analysis associated with the increased recurrence risk, poor RFS, and poor OS. If lack of LKB-1 expression is considered the reference category, the factors independently associated with recurrence were low (odds ratio [OR], 0.157; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.044-0.557), intermediate (OR, 0.073; 95% CI, 0.017-0.319), and intense (OR, 0.047; 95% CI, 0.007-0.304) expression of LKB-1. This model permitted construction of a computer software program capable of prediction with receiver operating characteristic analysis (area under the curve, 0.925) and led to the definition of five prognostic groups with a biologic gradient. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that LKB-1 expression in patients with SCCOC is of robust prognostic value and complements the TNM staging system. The proposed model requires external validation in prospective observational studies.

Treatment of Unresectable Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma With Upfront External Radiotherapy and Salvage Surgery: A STROBE-Compliant Retrospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: In patients with unresectable Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), the use of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), leads mostly to palliation. Our aim is to define the role of upfront EBRT, followed or not by salvage surgery, on Progression-free survival (PFS) or Overall survival (OS) in patients with DTC. METHODS: This is a cohort study of patients with initially unresectable DTC who received EBRT. Cohort A received EBRT followed by rescue surgery and cohort B, EBRT only. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox model were employed for survival analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were included; 69.6% females and 30.3% males. Mean age was 60.6 and mean tumor diameter was 10.4 cm; 17 and 16 patients were included in cohorts A and B, respectively. Belonging to cohort A (Hazard ratio [HR] 0.177, 95% CI 0.05-0.7) and use of intensity modulated radiotherapy (HR 0.177, 95% CI 0.03-1.08) were associated to better PFS, while high-risk histopathology (HR 6.6, 95% CI 0.9-50) and EBRT dose (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.08) were independently associated with lower PFS. Patients from cohort A (HR 0.061, 95% CI 0.01-0.3) had improved OS, while high-risk histopathology (HR 5.7, 95% CI 1.1-28.6) and EBRT dose (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09) were independently associated to worse OS. CONCLUSION: EBRT, and when feasible, salvage surgery, should be an integral part of the therapeutic strategy in initially unresectable DTC.

Prognostic Impact of Direct 131I Therapy After Detection of Biochemical Recurrence in Intermediate or High-Risk Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Patients treated for intermediate- or high-risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) and Thyroglobulin (TG) elevation during follow-up, require a diagnostic whole-body scan (DWBS) and if positive, 131I treatment. This approach can lead to a delay in treatment and increased costs. The purpose of this study is to compare the oncologic outcomes associated to administration of direct therapy with 131I at first biochemical recurrence. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients with intermediate- or high-risk DTC treated with total thyroidectomy, 131I ablation and who developed TG elevation during follow-up, between January 2007 and December 2015. Cohort A included patients who underwent a DWBS with 5 mCi of 131I, and if negative an MRI and/or 18FDG PET-CT prior to the therapeutic dosage, and cohort B included those who only received a therapeutic dosage of 131I, without a DWBS or extensive image studies. Main outcomes were second recurrence (SR) and disease-free survival (DFS). The diagnostic accuracy of DWBS was analyzed. Results: Cohorts A and B had 74 and 41 patients, each. By multivariate analysis, age, differentiation grade, TN classification, ablation dose, and performed DWBS (odds ratio 55.1; 95% CI 11.3-269) were associated with SR (p < 0.0001); age, male gender, ablation dose and performed DWBS (hazard ratio 7.79; 95% CI 3.67-16.5) were independent factors associated with DFS (p < 0.0001). DWBS diagnostic accuracy was 36.48%. Conclusion: 131I treatment in patients with DTC biochemical recurrence and no DWBS or extensive image studies is associated with a significantly lower frequency of SR and an increased DFS. The diagnostic accuracy of DWBS is low, and its clinical efficiency should be defined in prospective phase III studies.

Retrospective cohort study of prognostic factors in patients with oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Prognostic factors in oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are debated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of prognostic factors with oncologic outcomes. METHODS: Patients with oral cavity and oropharyngeal SCC treated from 1997 to 2012 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Associations of prognostic factors with locoregional recurrence (LRR) or overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the logistic regression and the Cox models. RESULTS: Six hundred thirty-four patients were included in this study; tumor size, surgical margins, and N classification were associated with LRR (p < .0001); considering histopathology: perineural invasion, lymphocytic infiltration, infiltrative borders, and N classification were significant determinants of LRR. Tumor size, N classification, alcoholism, and surgical margins were associated with OS (p < .0001); considering pathologic prognostic factors, perivascular invasion, islands borders, and surgical margins were independently associated with OS (p < .0001). CONCLUSION: Surgical margins, perineural and perivascular invasion, lymphocytic infiltration, and infiltrative patterns of tumor invasion are significant prognostic factors in oral cavity and oropharyngeal SCC.

Prognostic factors in patients with minor salivary gland carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to define prognostic factors and management of minor salivary gland carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx . METHODS: Retrospective analyses of patients with salivary gland carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx, treated in 1989 to 2006. Statistics included univariate analyses to identify prognostic factors associated with disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival. A multivariate analysis model was constructed by the Cox method. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients constituted our cohort. Significant prognostic factors regarding DFS and disease-specific survival in univariate analyses comprised tumor size, surgical margins, grade, lymph node status, and Karnofsky status and T classification. A multivariate model identified tumor size, grade, surgical margins, and lymph node status significant regarding DFS. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor size, grade, surgical margins, and lymph node status could be used for a rational design of treatment strategies in these rare tumors.

Diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration biopsy in preoperative diagnosis of patients with parotid gland masses.

BACKGROUND: The use of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for diagnosis of parotid gland masses (PGM) is questioned, because of low sensitivity and the generalized belief requiring surgery for most parotid masses. Information available is retrospective. Our objective was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of FNAB for diagnosis of patients with PGM. METHODS: A prospective diagnostic test study was conducted in a cancer center from 2003 to 2007. FNAB was obtained from patients older than 18 years with PGM. Cytopathologist and histopathologist were blinded for all clinical information. The reference standard for diagnosis was the surgical pathology report. RESULTS: FNAB sensitivity and specificity values in diagnosis of malignancy were 0.923 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85-0.99) and 0.986 (95% CI, 0.96-1.00), respectively. Positive and negative likelihood ratios (LRs) were 64.6 (95% CI, 9.22-453) and 0.078 (95% CI 0.03-0.18), respectively. Negative LR of FNAB was strengthened (0.078-0.029) when negative diagnosis of FNAB was associated with tumor size <4 cm, definite borders, and homogeneous tumor mass observed by computed tomography (CT). CONCLUSION: Diagnostic accuracy for FNAB was very high. No clinical or radiological factors improved the positive LR of FNAB alone. Liberal use of FNAB of PGM is recommended.

Multivariate prediction of the probability of recurrence in patients with carcinoma of the parotid gland.

BACKGROUND: Parotid gland carcinoma is an infrequent tumor, and series that report on these neoplasms are relatively scarce in the literature. The objective of the current study was to identify prognostic factors in patients with parotid gland carcinoma and to develop a method for defining the probability of recurrence. METHODS: Patients with parotid gland carcinoma who were treated at the authors' institution from January 1981 through December 2004 and who completed treatment constituted the study group. Disease-free survival was calculated by using the Kaplan-Meier method. Logistic regression analysis was employed to define the recurrence-associated prognostic factors. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-seven patients were included (64 men and 63 women); their mean age was 53 years. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma was diagnosed in 34.6% of patients, adenoid cystic was diagnosed in 15.7% of patients, adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 14.3% of patients, and acinic cell carcinoma was diagnosed in 9.4% of patients. The median disease-free survival was 8.3 years (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 4.3-12.2 years). Logistic regression analysis confirmed tumor classification, facial nerve palsy, grade of tumor differentiation, patient age, and surgical margins as recurrence-associated factors (P < .00001). Using this model, 3 postoperative risk groups were defined-high-risk, intermediate-risk, and low-risk-that had recurrence frequencies of 71.4%, 43.1%, and 8.8%, respectively (P = .0001). The 5-year disease-free survival rates for these groups were 18.7%, 53.9%, and 99.9%, respectively (P = .00001). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the authors identified several significant prognostic factors. Consequently, they have proposed a prognostic score categorization that allows for a straightforward calculation of the risk of recurrence for a given patient that may help to define therapeutic strategies, target patient counseling, and design future trials.