The impact of treatment on quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer and its association with prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Information is scarce regarding the impact of treatment on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) of patients with Head and Neck (H&N) cancers. We assessed the effect of treatment on HRQL and its association with prognosis in H&N cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with H&N cancer in whom HRQL was assessed before and after treatment. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35 instruments were used. Association of changes in patients' HRQL after treatment with Loco-Regional Recurrence (LRR) and Overall Survival (OS) was investigated. RESULTS: One hundred sixty patients were included; scales of the baseline assessment of HRQL were moderately associated with LRR and OS, but the impact of treatment on most HRQL scales was strongly associated with OS. By multivariate analysis, baseline assessment of Global Health, Physical, HN Teeth, HN Dry mouth, and HN Cough scales, and impact of treatment on the Physical and Pain scales comprised independent variables associated with LRR. Male gender, positive lymph nodes, baseline assessment of Role, HN Pain, HN Cough, and impact of treatment on Emotion, Pain, Financial, HN Swallowing, HN Social contact, and the interaction of HN Pain-change in Pain scales were associated with OS. Both multivariate models were adjusted by the neoplasm's site of origin. CONCLUSION: Aside from well-known clinical-pathologic prognostic factors in H&N cancers, HRQL assessment, both prior to and after treatment, provides significant prognostic information and should be measured. Design of therapeutic clinical trials in patients with H&N cancers should consider these novel prognostic factors.

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: clinical factors associated with recurrence, and proposal of a staging system.

BACKGROUND: Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a vascular tumor of the nasopharynx. Our aim is to analyze prognostic factors, report results obtained with radiation therapy and propose a staging system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of patients with JNA. Clinical, radiological and therapeutic data were assessed for recurrence- and disease free survival-associated prognostic factors. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Fifty-four males were analyzed. Invasion to anterior infratemporal fossae (ITF) +/or to pterygomaxillary fossae, to posterior infratemporal fossae, or intracranial extension were associated with recurrences in 2 of 15, in 8 of 18, and in 8 of 12 cases, respectively. Tumors < or > or =6 cm were associated with zero and with 18 recurrences, respectively (P = 0.006). A staging system is constructed considering extension patterns and size. Multivariate analyses conferred significance (P = 0.002) to a model including this staging system and surgical margins. CONCLUSION: Our system stratifies recurrence risk and disease-free survival efficiently. Since radiotherapy at young age has potential to induce malignancies, it should be used with caution. It could be considered as primary treatment in stage IV cases with major invasion to cavernous sinus or orbital apex. Therapy design may be improved.

An audit of nasopharyngeal fibromas.

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (NA) is a vascular tumor of the nasopharynx of young males which presents rarely. Our aim was to analyse outcome and prognostic factors of a case series of NA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with diagnosis of NA treated at a single institution from 1981 to 2003. We evaluated clinical, radiological and therapeutic data for recurrence- and disease-free survival-associated prognostic factors. Bi- and multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Fifty-four males with NA constitute our study group. Age varied from 12 to 35 years (mean, 18.5 years; standard deviation [SD], 4.9). There were 18 recurrences; localization in nasopharynx, nasal fossae or maxillary antrum was not associated with recurrences. Invasion to pterygomaxillary fossae, to infratemporal fossae or to skull base and/or intracranial extension were associated with recurrences in two of 14, in five of 12, and in 11 of 18 cases, respectively. Tumors < or >or=6 cm were associated with zero and with 18 recurrences, respectively (p<0.01). Multivariate analyses conferred statistical significance (p<0.01) to a model including patterns of extension, tumor size in pterygomaxillary or anterior infratemporal fossa invasion, and surgical margins. CONCLUSION: Recurrence factors for NA are defined and consequently treatment design is suggested. Endoscopic approaches could be considered in patients with minor lateral extensions, while wide surgical approaches are indicated in invasive cases. Radiotherapy could be applied alone or combined with surgery for extensive intracranial involvement.

Prognostic factors in maxillary sinus and nasal cavity carcinoma.

AIMS: The aim of the present study is to define prognostic factors, particularly the impact of treatment on paranasal sinus and nasal cavity malignancies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of patients with maxillary antrum and nasal fossae malignancies. A maxillectomy classification as performed to treat malignancies in our institution is described. Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors was done using the Cox's model. RESULTS: One hundred and nine patients were evaluated. Squamous cell carcinoma was found in 62 cases and in 95 patients the epicentre of the tumour was located in the maxillary antrum. Ten patients were treated with surgery only, 39 patients with surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy, 37 cases received only radiotherapy, and 18 received radiotherapy followed by surgery; in five cases a combination of chemo-radiotherapy was used. Multivariate analysis identified T classification, orbit invasion, N classification, site of origin of tumour in nasal fossae, and no surgical resection as independent prognostic factors (p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: T4 tumours with orbit invasion present bad prognosis as compared to other T4 tumours. Surgical resection should be included in the treatment strategy. Because of the high frequency of lymph-node metastasis, neck treatment should be considered in T4 tumours.

Effect of an avocado oil-rich diet over an angiotensin II-induced blood pressure response.

We studied the effect of an avocado oil-rich diet on (1) the blood pressure response to angiotensin II (AngII) and (2) the fatty acid composition of cardiac and renal membranes on male Wistar rats. The avocado oil-rich diet induced a slightly higher AngII-induced blood pressure response in the rats as compared to the control rats. In cardiac microsomes, avocado oil induced an increase in oleic acid content (13.18+/-0.33% versus 15.46+/-0.59%), while in renal microsomes, the oil decreased alpha-linolenic acid content (0.34+/-0.02% versus 0.16+/-0.12%), but increased the arachidonic acid proportion (24.02+/-0.54% versus 26.25+/-0.54%), compared to control. In conclusion, avocado oil-rich diet modifies the fatty acid content in cardiac and renal membranes in a tissue-specific manner. The rise in renal arachidonic acid suggests that diet content can be a key factor in vascular responses.

[Expression of cathepsin D in breast cancer and its clinical and histopathological correlations]. / Expresión de catepsina D en carcinoma mamario y sus correlaciones clínicas e histopatológicas.

BACKGROUND: Cathepsin D is a lysosomal protease which is overexpressed in some cases of breast cancer. Several studies done in tumor cytosol have shown that high levels of cathepsin D are associated with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer but the results are not conclusive using immunohistochemistry methods to assay cathepsin D. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if cathepsin D, assayed by a immunohistochemical technique using a polyclonal antibody, can be considered an independent prognostic factor in breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Paraffine embedded sections of 68 tumor specimens from breast cancer patients in stages I to IV seen at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia during the period from 1985 to 1986. RESULTS: From the 68 patients, 35 (51%) had an intense positive staining for cathepsin D, 19 (28%) han mild staining and 14 (21%) were negative. Ten patients with mild staining had artifacts due to deficiencies in the tissue fixation technique. Cathepsin D expression did not have a prognostic value nor association with other clinical and histopathological prognostic factors well established in breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Cathepsin D determined by immunohistochemistry has no prognostic value in breast cancer.