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BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the patterns of failure (locoregional and distant metastasis), associated factors, and treatment outcomes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) combined with chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From April 2006 to December 2011, 68 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were treated with IMRT and chemotherapy at our hospital. Median radiation doses delivered to gross tumor volume and positive neck nodes were 66-70 Gy, 63 Gy to clinical target volume, and 50.4-56 Gy to clinically negative neck. The clinical toxicities, patterns of failures, locoregional control, distant metastasis control, disease-free survival, and overall survival were observed. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 52.2 months (range: 11-87 months). Epstein-Barr virus infection was positive in 63.2% of patients. Overall disease failure developed in 21 patients, of whom 85.8% belonged to stage III/IV disease. Among these, there were seven locoregional recurrences, three regional recurrences with distant metastases, and eleven distant metastases. The median interval from the date of diagnosis to failure was 26.5 months (range: 16-50 months). Six of ten (60%) locoregional recurrences were treated with reirradiation ± concurrent chemotherapy. The 5-year locoregional control, distant metastasis control, disease-free survival, and overall survival rates of whole cohort were 81.1%, 74.3%, 60.1%, and 73.4%, respectively. Cox regression analyses revealed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy, age, and Epstein-Barr virus were independent predictors for disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by IMRT with or without chemotherapy improves the long-term survival of Saudi patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Distant metastasis was the main pattern of treatment failure. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, age, and Epstein-Barr virus status before IMRT were important independent prognostic factors.
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AIM: To analyze experiences to identify treatment outcomes and prognostic factors in a Saudi population. METHODS: Medical records of patients with brainstem gliomas treated from July 2001 to December 2012 were reviewed to identify treatment outcomes of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy and associated prognostic factors in a Saudi population. RESULTS: We analyzed 49 brain stem glioma (BSG) patients from July 2001 to December 2012; 31 of them were males (63.3%) with a median age of 12.6 years (range: 8-64 mo). Twenty-two patients (44.9%) had diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) and 15 (30.6%) presented with focal/tectal BSG. Histopathology was available in 30 patients (61.2%). Median survival time for the whole cohort was 1.5 years. One and two year OS rates were 51.1% and 41.9% respectively. Two year OS rates for focal/tectal, dorsally exophytic, cervicomedullary and DIPG tumors were 60%, 33.3%, 33.3% and 13.6% respectively (P < 0.0001). Significant prognostic factors related to OS were age at diagnosis (worse for > 18 years) P = 0.01, KPS < 70 P = 0.02, duration of symptoms (< 60 d) P = 0.002, histology (better for favorable) P = 0.002, surgery (maximal resection) P = 0.002, and concurrent chemotherapy with radiation therapy in DIPG (better if given) P = 0.01. CONCLUSION: BSG, especially the DIPG subgroup, had a dismal prognosis, needing more aggressive neurosurgical, radiation and chemotherapy techniques, while focal and tectal tumors were found to have a better prognosis.
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Background. Rosai-Dorfman Disease (RDD) is rare benign hematologic disorder of histiocytes, which usually manifests as painless lymphadenopathy, fever, leukocytosis and hypergammaglobulinemia. Extranodal RDD has been reported in 43% of cases, with skin as commonly involved site followed by head and neck region. However, soft tissue cheek mass is rare presentation of extra-nodal RDD. Case Presentation. A 26-year-old Saudi man presented with a six-month history of right cheek swelling and left upper eyelid swelling. Physical examination revealed right cheek mass of size 3 × 3 cm and left upper eyelid mass of size 1 × 2 cm and no palpable cervical lymphadenopathy. Incisional biopsy of cheek mass showed positivity for S100 and negativity for CD1a, consistent with extra-nodal RDD. Patient did not respond to systemic steroids and was given radiation therapy to left orbit with minimal response. Then, he was started on chemotherapy Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone (RCVP) 8 cycles followed by reirradiation 10 Gy in 10 fractions with 6 MeV electron with complete response. After 12 months of followup, patient had recurrence in right cheek and was started on radiotherapy to the cheek mass. Conclusion. Extra-nodal RDD with involvement of cheek is a rare presentation. Incorporation of S100 and CD1a is helpful in diagnoses of RDD and differentiating it from other benign histiocytosis. Treatment consists of surgery, steroids, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
