Impact of Depth of Invasion in Node-Negative Oral Tongue Cancer Treated With Surgery Alone.

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is an aggressive malignancy and the most common subsite of head and neck cancer among Taiwanese males. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of depth of invasion (DOI) in patients with node-negative OTSCC treated with radical surgery alone. We retrospectively analyzed 243 patients with node-negative OTSCC who had undergone radical surgery with adequate margins between 2005 and 2017.

Assessment of Preoperative Systemic Inflammation Response Index in Surgically Treated Young Head and Neck Cancer Patients Under 40.

Objectives: To assess the prognosis of young patients (≤40 years old) with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), focusing on the preoperative Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI).

Methods: Between January 2007 and February 2017, 175 young patients with HNSCC (≤40 years old) who underwent radical surgery were retrospectively enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (N = 131) and a validation cohort (N = 44).

Controlling nutritional status score as a survival prognosticator in patients with head and neck cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of the preoperative Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: Patients with HNSCC who underwent radical surgery between 2008 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed and randomly divided into training and validation cohorts by 3:1 ratio. The CONUT score, based on serum albumin, total cholesterol, and lymphocyte count measured within 1 week before surgery, was used.

Association of Circulating Cell-Free Mitochondrial DNA With Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Objective: To evaluate the association of circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA (ccf-mtDNA) levels with the severity and treatment outcomes of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

Study Design: Observational prospective study.

Setting: Tertiary academic medical center.

Prognostic utility of neutrophil-to-albumin ratio in surgically treated oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of preoperative neutrophil-to-albumin ratio (NAR) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods: A total of 622 patients with surgically treated OSCC were enrolled. NAR was defined as the absolute neutrophil count divided by the serum albumin level in peripheral blood before the radical surgery.

Lymph node ratio as a survival predictor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with multiple adverse pathological features.

Background: The study investigates the prognostic significance of lymph node ratio (LNR) on patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with coexistence of multiple adverse pathological features.

Methods: In total, 100 patients with coexistence of perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and extranodal extension of first primary HNSCC treated with radical surgery followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy were enrolled.

Results: The optimal LNR cut-off value for predicting overall survival (OS) and cancer specific survival (CSS) was 7%.

Systemic and Local Effects Among Patients With Betel Quid-Related Oral Cancer.

The major predisposing factors of developing oral cancer include smoking, alcohol drinking, and betel quid chewing. Betel quid chewing could cause the abrasion and damage of oral mucosa by crude fibers, chemical insults by additive slaked lime, and arecoline from areca nut. These would lead to the local consequence of oral submucosal fibrosis, which is regarded clinically as a precancer lesion and a major cause of trismus.

The Prognostic Value of Preoperative Albumin-to-Alkaline Phosphatase Ratio on Survival Outcome for Patients With Locally Advanced Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

This retrospective cohort study was to assess the prognostic value of preoperative albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) on survival outcome for patients with locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (LAOSCC). A total of 250 patients with LAOSCC receiving upfront radical surgery at a single institute from January 2008 to December 2017 were enrolled. The primary endpoint was the survival predictability of preoperative AAPR on the 5-year overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and disease-free survival (DFS).

Prediction of Occult Contralateral Nodal Metastasis in Surgical Treated p16 Negative Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: It is well known that p16 negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has a high probability of spreading to the ipsilateral neck. However, no consensus exists as to whether to perform elective treatment for clinical nodal negative in contralateral neck.

Methods: A total of 85 patients with p16 negative OPSCC who underwent primary tumor excision and bilateral neck dissections between 2005 and 2018 were analyzed retrospectively.

Expression of Major Lipid Raft Protein Raftlin in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps in Smoking and Non-Smoking Patients Correlated with Interleukin-17 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Levels.

Raftlin, as an inflammatory biomarker, has been previously reported in chronic inflammatory diseases. This study investigates the expression of Raftlin in cigarette smokers and in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), as well as evaluating its correlation with interleukin-17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels. A total of 30 CRSwNP non-smoking and 16 CRSwNP + SK (smoking) patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery were enrolled, while 20 middle turbinate tissue pieces were examined and performed as the control group.

Patients of stage I oral cancer with pathologically low-risk feature managed by primary tumor resection alone: Impact of depth of invasion and a nomogram analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the importance of depth of invasion (DOI) in patients with pathologically low-risk feature stage I oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) managed by primary tumor resection alone.

Methods: Patients with stage I OSCC, at pathologically low risk, underwent primary tumor resection without neck dissection were enrolled retrospectively between 2007 and 2015. Low risk was defined as the absence of positive or close margins, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, worst pattern of invasion-5, and poor differentiation in histologic grade.

Prognostic Value of Pathologically Positive Nodal Number in p16-Negative Oropharyngeal and Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma with pN3b Status.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of the number of pathologically positive nodes (pN+) in p16-negative oropharyngeal (OPSCC) and hypopharyngeal (HPSCC) squamous cell carcinoma cases with pN3b status after surgery. We reviewed the clinical and pathological features of 120 newly diagnosed p16-negative OPSCC and HPSCC patients with pN3b status after radical surgery. The primary endpoints were the 5-year overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and their prognostic factors.

Prognostic stratification of patients with AJCC 2018 pN1 disease in stage III oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Oral cancer with pT1-3N1 without extracapsular extension of the lymph node is classified as stage III according to the eighth edition of the AJCC staging system. Outcomes of a subgroup of patients classified as having stage III oral cancer with single nodal metastasis are observed to be various clinically. Therefore, such clinical outcomes for subgroup analyses in this cohort are necessary.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy plus cetuximab for previously irradiated un-resectable head and neck cancer.

Background: The aim of the study was to explore the treatment outcomes and prognostic factors for patients with previously irradiated but unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (rHNSCC) treated by stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) plus cetuximab at a single institute in Taiwan.

Methods: From February 2016 to March 2019, 74 patients with previously irradiated but unresectable rHNSCC were treated with SBRT plus cetuximab. All patients received irradiation to the gross tumor and/or nodal area with 40-50 Gy in five fractions, with each fraction interval ≥2 days over a 2-week period by using the CyberKnife M6 machine.

Quality of Life as a Mediator between Cancer Stage and Long-Term Mortality in Nasopharyngeal Cancer Patients Treated with Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy.

Background: Quality of life (QoL) attained before, during, or after treatments is recognized as a vital factor associated with therapeutic benefits in cancer patients. This nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patient longitudinal study assessed the relationship among QoL, cancer stage, and long-term mortality in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Patients And Methods: The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core QoL questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and the head and neck cancer-specific QoL questionnaire module (QLQ-HN35) were employed to evaluate four-dimensional QoL outcomes at five time points: pre- ( = 682), during (around 40 Gy) ( = 675), 3 months ( = 640), 1 year ( = 578) and 2 years post-IMRT ( = 505), respectively, for 682 newly diagnosed NPC patients treated between 2003 and 2017 at a single institute.

JAK2 Phosphorylation Signals and Their Associated Cytokines Involved in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps and Correlated with Disease Severity.

Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) is a member of the JAK family that transduces cytokine-mediated signals via the JAKs/STATs (signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins) pathway, which plays an important role in many inflammatory diseases. This study investigates the association of p-JAK2 and JAK2-associated cytokines from nasal polyp (NP) tissue with disease severity, and evaluates the p-JAK2-mediated STATs in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with NP. Sixty-one CRSwNP patients with nasal polyps undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery were enrolled, while the turbinate tissues from 26 nasal obstruction patients were examined as the control group.

Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training on Baroreflex Sensitivity, Respiratory Function, and Serum Oxidative Stress in Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.

Background: respiratory complications are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). We examined the effects of respiratory muscle training (RMT) in patients with acute cervical SCI.

Methods: this prospective trial enrolled 44 adults with acute cervical SCI, of which twenty received RMT and twenty-four did not receive RMT.

Targeting mTOR-CCL20 Signaling May Improve Response to Docetaxel in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) usually show a dismal prognosis. It is this worthwhile to develop new, effective therapeutic regimens for these patients, such as molecular targeted therapy, which is promising as an alternative or combination treatment for HNSCC. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, which plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of HNSCC, is the most frequently activated, and is thus worthy of further investigation.

Survival Outcomes and Predictors for Patients who Failed Chemoradiotherapy/Radiotherapy and Underwent Salvage Total Laryngectomy.

Background: To assess the presence of adverse pathological features at the time of salvage total laryngectomy (TL) associated with oncologic outcome.

Methods: Ninety patients with persistent/locally recurrent disease and who subsequently underwent salvage TL after definitive treatment by radiation alone (RTO) or concurrent chemo-radiation (CCRT) from 2009 to 2018 were retrospectively enrolled. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS).

Angiotensin II receptor blockers valsartan and losartan improve survival rate clinically and suppress tumor growth via apoptosis related to PI3K/AKT signaling in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common type of head and neck cancer in Asia. Adverse effects occur in over 90% of NPC patients treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiation. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are commonly used to treat hypertension without serious adverse effects.

Clinical significance of pretreatment prognostic nutritional index and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in patients with advanced p16-negative oropharyngeal cancer-a retrospective study.

Background: Systemic inflammation and nutritional status both play roles in the survival of cancer patients. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) on the survival of patients with advanced p16-negative oropharyngeal cancer.

Methods: A total of 142 patients diagnosed with advanced p16-negative oropharyngeal cancer between 2008 and 2015 were enrolled in this study.