[The effect of narrow band imaging in CO2 laser therapy in early-stage glottic cancer].

Objective:To explore efficacy of narrow band imaging（NBI） technique in CO2laser therapy in Early-Stage Glottic cancer. Methods:The clinical data of patients with Early-Stage Glottic cancer who underwent CO2laser vocal cord resection from June 2011 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Among these, 27 patients who underwent surgery assisted by NBI were assigned to the observation group, while 25 patients who underwent conventional CO2 laser microsurgery with a suspension laryngoscope were assigned to the control group. The differences between the two groups were analyzed in terms of intraoperative frozen pathology results, postoperative recurrence rates, 5-year cumulative disease-free survival rates, complications, and voice recovery. Results:All 52 patients were operated successfully. Temporary tracheostomy and serious complications did not occur during the operation. The postoperative patient's pronunciation was satisfactory. One patient experienced vocal cord adhesion, but there were no severe complications such as breathing difficulties or bleeding, with an overall complication rate of 1.92%. Postoperative follow-up was 1-5 years. The 5 years recurrence free survival in the general group was 77.90％, and the 5 years recurrence free survival in the NBI group was 100％, the difference was statistically significant（P<0.05）. NBI endoscopy is safer and more accurate than the general group in determining the safe margin of tumor mucosal resection（P<0.05）. Among the patients who accepted the voice analysis, the difference was no statistically significant（P>0.05）. Conclusion:Compared with conventional CO2laser surgery under microscope, NBI guided laser resection of Early-Stage Glottic cancer is more accurate. NBI guided laser resection could improve 5 years recurrence free survival rate. In a word, narrow-band imaging endoscopy can has very high value in clinical application.

Laryngeal chondromas: Current knowledge and future directions.

Objective: Cartilaginous tumors of the larynx are rare, representing less than 1% of all laryngeal tumors. Chondromas are benign mesenchymal tumors characterized by a slow-paced growth, primarily originated in the cricoid cartilage, followed by the thyroid, arytenoid, and epiglottic cartilages. This scoping review aims to understand the extent of evidence on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, morbidity, and recurrence of the laryngeal chondroma (LC). Data sources: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Elsevier), Web of Science (Clarivate), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Systematic Reviews, Lilacs, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Review methods: The scoping review was conducted from 1816 to 2023, for observational studies describing LC. Titles and abstracts were screened for relevance, followed by an evaluation of the full text for eligibility. The data were collected from the qualifying articles, and a narrative summary of the outcomes was prepared. Results: One hundred and nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Ninety-four case reports, 22 case series, and 3 cohorts. Two hundred and four participants with a diagnosis of LC were described. Male:female ratio was 2.8:1. The most common localization was the cricoid (113; 47.08%), followed by the thyroid (45; 18.75%), and the arytenoid cartilage (27; 11.25%). Dyspnea (78.85%) and hoarseness (74.28%) were the most reported symptoms. The recurrence rate was 11.25%, and complications were uncommon following the resection. Conclusion: This scoping review found a low-frequency rate over all the cartilaginous laryngeal tumors. Most patients were treated with resection, with a low rate of malignancy conversion. This population has low attributable mortality, morbidity, and recurrence according to the current literature.

Oncocytic Papillary Cystadenoma: A Case of a Misdiagnosed Laryngeal Mass.

Cystadenomas are benign neoplasms found in major and minor salivary glands. In cases where both oncocytic cells and papillary architecture, without a lymphoid component, exist, the lesion is called oncocytic papillary cystadenoma (OPC). OPCs are rarely encountered in the laryngeal region and that is why they are usually misdiagnosed as other types of laryngeal tumors. Hereby, we present a case of a misdiagnosed laryngeal OPC in an attempt to raise awareness of this rare entity, both for the surgeon performing the excision of the laryngeal mass and for the pathologists examining the specimen.

Visual Gaze Patterns in the Analysis of Glottic Lesions: Does Experience Increase Diagnostic Accuracy?

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate visual gaze patterns and the ability to correctly identify cancer among participants of different experience levels when viewing benign and malignant vocal cord lesions. METHODS: Thirty-one participants were divided into groups based on level of experience. These included novice (medical students, PGY1-2 otolaryngology residents), intermediate (PGY3-5 otolaryngology residents, gastroenterology fellow), advanced practice providers (physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and speech language pathologists), and experts (board-certified otolaryngologists). Each participant was shown 7 images of vocal cord pathology including glottic cancer, infectious laryngitis, and granuloma and asked to determine the likelihood of cancer on a scale of certain, probable, possible, and unlikely. Eye tracking data were collected and used to identify the area of interest (AOI) that each participant fixated on first, fixated on the longest, and had the greatest number of fixations. RESULTS: No significant differences were seen among groups when comparing AOI with first fixation, AOI with longest fixation, or AOI with most fixations. Novices were significantly more likely to rate a low likelihood of cancer when viewing infectious laryngitis compared to more experienced groups (P < .001). There was no difference in likelihood of cancer rating among groups for the remaining images. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in gaze targets among participants of different experience levels evaluating vocal cord pathology. Symmetric appearance of vocal cord lesions may explain differences seen in likelihood of cancer rating among groups. Future studies with larger sample sizes will better elucidate gaze targets that lead to accurate diagnosis of vocal cord pathology.

Partial pharyngolaryngectomy with free flap for an unusual pharyngeal stenosis: surgical experience and literature review.

This report describes the case of a middle-aged man who attempted suicide, which resulted in laryngeal webbing and pharyngeal stenosis. The patient was compromised at the level of respiration, necessitating a tracheostomy. Alimentation was also affected, and feeding was done through a gastrostomy tube. Unfortunately, the fibrous tissues were resistant to dilatation and laser treatment. Hence, he underwent a modified partial horizontal supraglottic laryngectomy (PHSL) and pharyngectomy to excise all of the fibrous tissues formed after the incident. The resulting defect was closed with a radial forearm flap (RFF), which is an innovative means of reconstruction after PHSL. The postoperative results were satisfactory. The patient could achieve full oral intake without aspiration at 10 days and the cannula was removed at 3 weeks. This surgical technique could be applied in supraglottic cancers with extension to the pharynx, with repair of the defect by RFF, thus preserving the function of the larynx.

Pharyngo-cervicospinal fistula with destructive osteomyelitis after laryngopharyngectomy and radiotherapy, managed successfully with a vascularized fibula free flap.

Total laryngectomy is an operation mainly employed in recurrent laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinoma after previous radiotherapy. The most feared complication after this procedure is a pharyngocutaneous fistula. An extremely rare complication is the development of osteomyelitis of the cervical spine, which is associated with high rates of neurological impairment and epidural empyema, often requiring surgical treatment. This report describes the case of a patient with neck and shoulder pain and progressive motor weakness of the left deltoid and biceps muscle, caused by a pharyngo-cervicospinal fistula with spinal empyema. This condition resulted in destructive osteomyelitis of the cervical spine. A successful reconstruction of the cervical spine and neopharynx was performed using a free vascularized fibula bone and skin graft in a complex area because of previous treatments. It appears that no similar case has been described previously.

Prognostic analysis of surgical treatment for T3 glottic laryngeal cancer based on different tumor extension patterns.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prognostic impact of different tumor invasion patterns in the surgical treatment of T3 glottic laryngeal cancer. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical data of 91 patients with T3 glottic laryngeal cancer. RESULTS: We found that the posterior invasion being significantly associated with involvement of the lamina of cricoid cartilage (P < 0.001), arytenoid cartilage (P = 0.001), and subglottic (P = 0.001). There was no statistical difference in survival outcomes between the total laryngectomy (TL) group and the partial laryngectomy (PL) group, but in the PL group, tumors with anterior invasion were associated with a better 5-year DFS than tumors with posterior invasion (HR: 4.681, 95% CI: 1.337-16.393, P = 0.016), and subglottic involvement was associated with worse LRRFS (HR: 3.931, 95% CI: 1.054-14.658, P = 0.041). At the same time, we found that involvement of the lamina of cricoid cartilage was an independent risk factor for postoperative laryngeal stenosis in PL patients (HR: 11.67, 95% CI: 1.89-71.98, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Selectively performed PL can also achieve favorable oncological outcomes comparable to those of TL. Posterior invasion and subglottic involvement are independent prognostic factors for recurrence after PL in T3 glottic laryngeal cancer, and involvement of the lamina of cricoid cartilage is associated with postoperative laryngeal stenosis. The tumor invasion pattern of patients with laryngeal cancer should be further subdivided to allow for selection of a more individualized treatment plan.

Supervivencia y seguimiento de pacientes sometidos a cirugía parcial de laringe

Introducción: El cáncer de cabeza y cuello constituye el 3,8 % de las neoplasias malignas y 2,3 % de las muertes por cáncer; más frecuente entre la sexta y séptima década de la vida. El cáncer laríngeo es el tumor maligno no cutáneo más común (30-40 %) entre los tumores de cabeza y cuello y segundo cáncer más frecuente del aparato respiratorio; razón hombre/mujer de hasta 10:1, reducida con el incremento del tabaquismo en la mujer. La laringectomía parcial y la radioterapia son métodos terapéuticos efectivos en el tratamiento de pacientes con cáncer laríngeo precoz, comparables en tasas de supervivenciay conservación de la laríngea. Objetivo: Evaluar la supervivencia y seguimiento de pacientes que recibieron como tratamiento de elección por persistencia tumoral o recidiva cirugía parcial de laringe en dos hospitales de la provincia Camagüey. Métodos: El universo lo conformaron los pacientes con cáncer laríngeo que acudieron a las consultas y la muestra a criterio de los autores la integraron 70 pacientes que recibieron tratamiento quirúrgico. Se consideraron como variables: edad, sexo, localización topográfica del tumor, técnica quirúrgica parcial realizada y tiempo desupervivencia de los pacientes. Resultados: En la muestra estudiada el 100 % de los pacientes pertenecían al sexo masculino, entre 51 y 60 años de edad y con carcinomas en localización glótica-supraglótica. La técnica quirúrgica más utilizada fue la laringectomía subtotal con cricohioidopexia sin epigotoplastia. Durante la recolección de la información en consulta para el seguimiento de los enfermos, la mayoría se encontraban vivos. Conclusiones: Los pacientes tratados fueron del sexo masculino, quinta y sexta décadas de la vida. Predominó la localización topográfica glótica-supraglótica y la técnica quirúrgica realizada con mayor frecuencia la laringectomía subtotal con cricohioidopexia sin epigotoplastia. Al culminar el estudio la mayor parte de los pacientes de ambos grupos mostraronn buena calidad vida e integración social.

Introduction: Head and neck cancer constitutes 3.8% of malignant neoplasms and 2.3% of cancer deaths; most common between the sixth and seventh decade of life. Laryngeal cancer is the most common non-cutaneous malignant tumor (30-40%) among head and neck tumors and the second most common cancer of the respiratory system; shows a male/female ratio of up to 10:1, which has reduced with the increase in smoking in women. Partial laryngectomy and radiotherapy are effective therapeutic methods in the treatment of patients with early laryngeal cancer, comparable in survival rates and laryngeal preservation. Objective: To evaluate the survival and follow-up of patients who received partial laryngeal surgery as the treatment of choice for tumor persistence or recurrence in two hospitals in the province of Camagüey, Cuba. Methods: The universe was made up of patients with laryngeal cancer who attended the consultations and the sample at the authors' discretion was made up of 70 patients who received surgical treatment. The following variables were considered: age, sex, topographic location of the tumor, partial surgical technique performed and survival time of the patients. Results: In the sample studied, 100% of the patients were male, between 51 and 60 years of age and with carcinomas in a glottic - supraglottic location. The most used surgical technique was subtotal laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy without epigotoplasty. During the collection of information in consultation for the follow-up of the patients, the majority were alive. Conclusions: The treated patients were male, fifth and sixth decades of life. Glottic-supraglottic topographic location predominated and the most frequently performed surgical technique was subtotal laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy without epigotoplasty. At the end of the study, most of the patients in both groups showed good quality of life and social integration.

Evolution of the quality of life of total laryngectomy patients using electrolarynx

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Therapy and vocal rehabilitation in laryngeal cancer impact patients' quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the evolution of the quality of life of patients with laryngeal cancer submitted to total laryngectomy and using electrolarynx. METHODS: This is an observational study with a cross-sectional design and a quantitative approach. It was conducted between April 2022 and January 2023 in a Brazilian cancer hospital. For data collection, a quality of life questionnaire, validated for patients with head and neck cancer at the University of Washington, was applied in two phases: from 7 days after total laryngectomy and, subsequently, from 70 days after surgery using electronic larynx for at least 60 days. The inclusion criteria were patients undergoing total laryngectomy included on the Aldenora Bello Cancer Hospital's election list to receive the electronic larynx. Patients who did not sign the informed consent form were not included. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 31 patients, of which approximately 84% were men and approximately 93% at the age of 50 years or older. When comparing the phases, it is possible to observe that the item speech had the greatest progress, while chewing had the least. Only the item recreation, swallowing, taste, and saliva did not show any statistical significance. The score for the general quality of life questions increased. CONCLUSION: Electronic larynx is a viable and useful method of voice rehabilitation. Our data suggest that the use of the electrolarynx as a postlaryngectomy method of verbal communication is responsible for positive effects on patients' quality of life.

Mortalidade e carga do câncer de laringe atribuíveis aos riscos ocupacionais no Brasil: estudo da Carga Global de Doença, 2019 / Laryngeal cancer mortality and burden attributable to occupational risks in Brazil: 2019 Global Burden of Disease

Resumo Objetivo: descrever a mortalidade e os anos de vida ajustados pela incapacidade disability-adjusted life years - DALYs) para câncer de laringe no Brasil atribuíveis a fatores de risco ocupacionais e comportamentais. Métodos: estudo ecológico com dados do estudo Global Burden of Disease 2019. Foram obtidas taxas de mortalidade e de DALYs para o câncer de laringe atribuíveis aos riscos ocupacionais (ácido sulfúrico e amianto) e comportamentais (tabaco e álcool), de 1990 e 2019. Resultados: no Brasil, em 2019, a taxa de mortalidade por câncer de laringe atribuível aos riscos ocupacionais (ácido sulfúrico e amianto) foi 0,28 (II95%: 0,17;0,43) no sexo masculino e 0,03 (II95%: 0,02;0,04) no feminino, e a de DALYs foi 7,33 (II95%: 4,28;11,44) e 0,64 (II95%: 0,35;0,03), respectivamente. O ácido sulfúrico foi o principal risco ocupacional para a doença. Houve redução das taxas atribuíveis ao tabaco (mortalidade:-45,83%; DALYs:-47,36%) e aos riscos ocupacionais (mortalidade:-23,20%; DALYs:-26,31%), no Brasil, com aumento em alguns estados das regiões Norte e Nordeste. Conclusão: houve redução na mortalidade e na carga do câncer de laringe atribuível aos fatores ocupacionais no período, porém menor em comparação ao tabagismo, reforçando a importância de ações para reduzir o impacto dos riscos ocupacionais, como as medidas regulatórias aplicadas ao tabaco.

Abstract Objective: to describe mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to laryngeal cancer attributable to occupational and behavioral risk factors in Brazil. Methods: this is an ecological study with data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease. Mortality and DALY rates for laryngeal cancer attributable to occupational (sulfuric acid and asbestos) and behavioral (tobacco and alcohol) risks were obtained from 1990 and 2019. Results: in 2019, the mortality rate from laryngeal cancer attributable to occupational hazards (sulfuric acid and asbestos) totaled 0.28 (95%UI: 0.17; 0.43) and 0.03 (95%UI: 0.02; 0.04), whereas and DALY rates, 7.33 (95%UI: 4.28; 11.44) and 0.64 (95%UI: 0.35; 0.03) in men and women in Brazil, respectively. Sulfuric acid configured the main occupational risk for the disease. The rates attributable to tobacco (mortality: −45.83%; DALYs: −47.36%) and occupational hazards (mortality: −23.20%; DALYs: −26.31%) decreased in Brazil but increased in some Northern and Northeastern states. Conclusion: laryngeal cancer mortality and burden attributable to occupational factors decreased in the period (although less than that for smoking), reinforcing the importance of actions to reduce the impact of occupational risks, such as the regulatory measures applied to tobacco.

Computed tomography-based radiomic markers are independent prognosticators of survival in advanced laryngeal cancer: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Advanced laryngeal cancers are clinically complex; there is a paucity of modern decision-making models to guide tumour-specific management. This pilot study aims to identify computed tomography-based radiomic features that may predict survival and enhance prognostication. METHODS: Pre-biopsy, contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans were assembled from a retrospective cohort (n = 72) with advanced laryngeal cancers (T3 and T4). The LIFEx software was used for radiomic feature extraction. Two features: shape compacity (irregularity of tumour volume) and grey-level zone length matrix - grey-level non-uniformity (tumour heterogeneity) were selected via least absolute shrinkage and selection operator-based Cox regression and explored for prognostic potential. RESULTS: A greater shape compacity (hazard ratio 2.89) and grey-level zone length matrix - grey-level non-uniformity (hazard ratio 1.64) were significantly associated with worse 5-year disease-specific survival (p < 0.05). Cox regression models yielded a superior C-index when incorporating radiomic features (0.759) versus clinicopathological variables alone (0.655). CONCLUSIONS: Two radiomic features were identified as independent prognostic biomarkers. A multi-centre prospective study is necessary for further exploration. Integrated radiomic models may refine the treatment of advanced laryngeal cancers.

[Prognostic impact of different tumor invasion patterns in the surgical treatment of T3 glottic laryngeal cancer].

Objective:To investigate the prognostic impact of different tumor invasion patterns in the surgical treatment of T3 glottic laryngeal cancer. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 91 patients with T3 glottic laryngeal cancer. Results:Among the 91 patients, 58 cases （63.7%） had anterior invasion and 33 cases （36.3%） had posterior invasion. The posterior invasion was significantly correlated with invasions of the dorsal plate of cricoid cartilage （P<0.001）, arytenoid cartilage （P= 0.001）, and subglottic region（P = 0.001）. There was no statistical difference in survival outcomes between the total laryngectomy group and the partial laryngectomy group. But in the partial laryngectomy group, the 5-year disease-free survival（DFS） of patients with anterior invasive tumors was better than that of patients with posterior invasion tumors （HR: 4.681, 95%CI 1.337-16.393, P=0.016）, and subglottic invasion was associated with worse loco-regional recurrence-free survival（LRRFS）（HR: 3.931, 95%CI 1.054-14.658, P=0.041）. At the same time, we found that involvement of the dorsal plate of cricoid cartilage was an independent risk factor for postoperative laryngeal stenosis in partial laryngectomy patients （HR:11.67, 95%CI 1.89-71.98,P=0.008）. Conclusion:Compared with total laryngectomy, selected partial laryngectomy can also achieve favorable oncological outcomes. Posterior invasion and subglottic extension are independent prognostic factors for recurrence of partial laryngectomy in T3 glottic laryngeal cancer, and the involvement of the dorsal plate of cricoid cartilage is associated with postoperative laryngeal stenosis. The tumor invasion pattern of laryngeal cancer should be further subdivided in order to select a more individualized treatment plan.

[Clinical analysis of 5 adult laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma].

Objective:To explore the clinical manifestations,the type of pathology, treatment and prognosis of laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma, and to enhance the understanding of the clinical characteristics of the disease, while improving the diagnosis rateand reducing the misdiagnosis rate, in order to explore effective diagnosis and treatment methods. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 5 cases of laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from May 2015 to May 2021. Results:All 5 cases of laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma were misdiagnosed in the early stage. with tumors mostly occurring in the vocal cords and appearing as smooth mass. The clinical symptoms were mostly hoarseness. According to pathological classification, three cases were embryonic type, one case was polymorphic type, and one case was spindle type.Three patients died due to tumor recurrence, one patient had multiple systemic metastases, and another patient who underwent surgical resection in the early stage and supplemented with postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapyhas been followed up to date without recurrence. Conclusion:Laryngeal rhabdomyosarcoma has low incidence rate, high malignancy degree and poor prognosis. It is easy to be misdiagnosed as a benign mass. Extensive surgical resection combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy should be performed as soon as possible after diagnosis.

The Diagnostic and Predictive Value of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

This retrospective study examines the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) and neck magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting nodal metastasis for patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and assesses the predictive values of metabolic and structural features derived from 18F-FDG PET/CT. By involving 66 patients from 2014 to 2021, the sensitivity and specificity of both modalities were calculated. 18F-FDG PET/CT outperforms neck MRI for nodal disease detection, with 89% sensitivity, 65% specificity, and 77% accuracy for nodal metastasis (p = 0.03). On the other hand, neck MRI had 66% sensitivity, 62% specificity, and 64% accuracy. Approximately 11% of patients witnessed a change in their therapy intent when relying on 18F-FDG PET/CT nodal staging results. Analyzing the cohort for PET-derived metabolic and morphological parameters, a total of 167 lymph nodes (LN) were visualized. Parameters such as the LN maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and LN size were computed. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed. Among the 167 identified cervical LNs, 111 were histopathologically confirmed as positive. ROC analysis revealed the highest area under the curve for LN MTV (0.89; p < 0.01), followed by LN size (0.87; p < 0.01). Both MTV and LN size independently predicted LN metastasis through multivariate analysis. In addition, LN MTV can reliably predict false-positive LNs in preoperative staging, offering a promising imaging-based approach for further exploration.

Survival Outcomes of Non-squamous Cell Carcinoma and Rare Squamous Cell Carcinoma Variants of the Larynx.

The literature focuses primarily on laryngeal differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and only a limited number of studies have evaluated the outcomes of rare variants of SCC (vSCC) and non-SCC malignancies (nSCC). To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare the survival outcomes of these two groups. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 816 patients who underwent laryngeal surgery from January 2010 to November 2022. Forty-nine (6.2%) were identified as having unusual larynx malignancies and categorized in the nSCC or vSCC groups. The patients' clinicopathological features were then recorded. We compared the two groups' overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) outcomes. Thirty-three (4.2%) patients had vSCC, and 16 (2%) had nSCC. Forty-two (85.7%) were male, and the mean age was 58.57 years. The median follow-up time was 69 months. The 5-year OS rate was 71.4% in the nSCC group vs. 87.9% in the vSCC group (p = .055). Only surgical margin (HR: 4.68; 95% CI:1.13-19.37, p = .033) was an independent prognostic factor for OS in the multivariable analysis. The 5-year RFS rate was 50% for the nSCC group compared to 90.9% for the vSCC group (p < .001). In the multivariable analysis, surgical margin positivity (HR: 21.0, 95% CI 3.97-98.1, p < .001), and lymphovascular invasion (HR: 0.043, 95% CI 0.005-0.357, p = .004) were independent prognostic factors for RFS. Although OS did not show a statistical difference, nSCC malignancies of the larynx demonstrated worse OS and RFS outcomes than vSCC malignancies. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-023-03934-8.

Head and neck cancer burden in India: an analysis from published data of 37 population-based cancer registries.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a major public health problem in India. This article presents the HNC burden in different regions of India. The published population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) data from the National Cancer Registry Programme, Bengaluru, and the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India, were utilised. The 37 PBCRs were divided into six regions including central, east, north, northeast, west and south. The age-standardised incidence rate of HNC was 25.9 (95% CI 25.7-26.1) and 8.0 (95% CI 7.9-8.1) per 100,000 population, respectively, in males and females. HNC accounted for about 26% of all cancer cases in males and 8% in females. The risk of developing HNC was 1 in 33 for males and 1 in 107 for females. The northeastern registries reported the highest incidence rate 31.7 per 100,000 population in males followed by northern (28.5), central (28.3), western (24.4), southern (23.9) and eastern (18.3). In females, the incidence was in the range of 6.2-10.1 per 100,000 population. For all PBCRs together, the HNC burden was two to three times higher in the age group 60+ as compared to 20-39 years. The HNC burden in India is higher than in the USA, UK, Australia, Africa and Brazil. The PBCRs from the south-east Asia region such as the Colombo district, Sri Lanka, as well as Siraha, Saptari, Dhanusha and Mohattari - Nepal have also reported a high burden of HNC. All regions reported mouth as a leading cancer site followed by tongue, larynx, hypopharynx and tonsil except the northeastern region registries where hypopharynx was the top leading cancer. The burden of other sites of HNC is low. Raising awareness of the disease and associated risk factors, providing early detection services, as well as easy access to diagnosis and treatment are required. The government should focus on building the infrastructure and capacity building to control this disease.

Laryngeal Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-Positive B-cell Lymphoma: Case Report and Review.

Larynx is an uncommon extranodal site for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive B-cell lymphoma is a rare and aggressive form of NHL. A 19-year-old male presented to the ENT department with globus sensation, hoarseness, cervical lymphadenopathy and weight loss. A 70-degree rigid endoscopic examination of the larynx showed a vascular, irregular, submucosal mass arising from the right aryepiglottic fold causing near complete obstruction of the laryngeal airway. PET-CT showed hypermetabolic lesions in the supraglottis, cervical lymph nodes, cervical spine, ribs and abdominal lymph nodes. Biopsy was taken from the supraglottic mass as well as the enlarged cervical lymph nodes, which revealed ALK-positive large B-cell NHL. In this report, we present a rare case of ALK-positive large B-cell NHL of the larynx, discussing its clinical, radiological and pathological features. A limited review of literature is also presented. There is a need to develop a database for the description of lymphomas affecting the larynx and this case report adds to the existing knowledge of this rare entity.

Pharyngocutaneous Fistula in Salvage Laryngectomy: Use of the Stapler Versus Manual Suturing Technique.

A pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) is the most common complication after salvage total laryngectomy (STL) with an incidence ranging from 5 to 73%, causing an increase in morbidity and delaying the patient's recovery. A surgical technique to prevent PCF formation is the use of the stapler to suture the pharyngeal mucosa.  We have reviewed the medical files of 91 patients who had undergone STL, dividing the patients into two groups (manual suture vs. stapler), based on the type of pharyngeal suture performed during the STL. We found 12/49 (24.5%) cases of a PCF in group A (manual) and 5/42 (11.9%) cases of a PCF in group B (stapler). There is a statistically significant difference between the two groups with the patients in group B presenting better results in terms of the reduction of the surgical time, the length of the hospital stay and also in the restarting of oral feeding. The advantages of mechanical suturing with the stapler are reduced surgical times, a lower PCF formation rate, which involves an early removal of the nasogastric tube, and reduced hospitalization times. Further studies with a larger case series will be necessary to confirm the results obtained and to standardize the surgical technique.

Treatment of Early Glottic cancer with Transoral Laser Microsurgery: An Australian Experience.

Introduction: Early laryngeal carcinomas may be treated by transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) or external beam radiotherapy. We review our experience of surgical treatment of laryngeal pre-malignant and malignant lesions over the past 15 years in a high-volume head neck unit. Methods: A review of a prospective patient database of patients with laryngeal SCC, who were treated with CO2 TLM between 2004 and 2019 was carried out. Results: 83 patients with a mean age of 67.7 (SD: 10.6) years underwent primary curative TLM for T1a/b SCC. 5-year overall survival was 93.2% (95%CI 86.9-100%), disease free survival was 86.0% (95%CI 78.1-94.6%), locoregional control was 91.2% (95%CI: 85.1-97.7%) and larynx preservation rate of 95.1% at 5 years. Conclusion: TLM is an excellent treatment modality for T1 early glottic SCC, with excellent locoregional control and disease-free survival. It is minimally invasive, outpatient-based, and cost-effective procedure preserving upper aerodigestive tract dysfunction for all activities of daily living.

Solitary Extramedullary Plasmacytoma of the Head and Neck: A Report of Three Cases Treated With Curative Radiotherapy and a Review of the Dose-Control Relationship.

Solitary plasmacytoma is an uncommon hematologic malignancy characterized by the monoclonal proliferation of abnormal plasma cells in the bone or extramedullary tissues and the absence of other multiple myeloma-defining clinical characteristics. Mostly, solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma (SEP) occurs in the head and neck region, also called solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the head and neck (SEPHN). Although the standard of care for SEPHN is not well established, either a surgical approach or localized external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) can be used as a definitive treatment. Due to the high radiosensitivity of SEPHN, EBRT has been associated with adequate therapeutic effects in the management of SEP, with the advantage of being a noninvasive modality that yields high rates of local control with a reasonable toxicity profile. We present a case series of three patients with SEPHN treated with EBRT at our institution with clinical outcomes.