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A 64-year-old female patient presented with otalgia and hearing loss in the right ear. On otoscopy, the right tympanic membrane was highly vascularized and bulged into the anteroinferior quadrant. High-resolution computed tomography revealed an osteolytic lesion with occupation of the hypotympanum extending into the petrous apex and right parapharyngeal space as well as infiltration of the wall of the right internal carotid artery. MRI strengthened the suspicion of a jugulotympanic paraganglioma. The biopsy material obtained through exploratory tympanotomy was assessed as a low-grade polymorphic adenocarcinoma. The tumor was treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. Posttherapeutic imaging after 4 months did not show any evidence of tumor progression., (© 2021. Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

A 64-year-old female patient presented with otalgia and hearing loss in the right ear. On otoscopy, the right tympanic membrane was highly vascularized and bulged into the anteroinferior quadrant. High-resolution computed tomography revealed an osteolytic lesion with occupation of the hypotympanum extending into the petrous apex and right parapharyngeal space as well as infiltration of the wall of the right internal carotid artery. MRI strengthened the suspicion of a jugulotympanic paraganglioma. The biopsy material obtained through exploratory tympanotomy was assessed as a low-grade polymorphic adenocarcinoma. The tumor was treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. Posttherapeutic imaging after 4 months did not show any evidence of tumor progression., (© 2021. Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Between 1979 and 1986, 74 patients with hypopharyngeal carcinomas were operated using transoral laser microsurgery by the first author. 32 of the patients were subdivided into 5 subgroups and considered separately because of pretreatment for head and neck tumors, simultaneous multiple tumors etc. (excluding criterias). Survival times were not significantly prolonged and lasted 1-27 months (median, 11 months), but the quality of life was improved due to preservation or restoration of natural laryngopharyngeal functions. Forty-two patients were operated with curative intention. This group primarily underwent transoral laser microsurgery, aiming at complete locoregional tumor resection with function preservation (pT1, 5; pT2, 31; pT3, 4; pT4, 2). In 29 patients 31 necks were operated, mostly as a regionally limited functional neck dissection (or "selective" neck dissection). In 90% of the cases neck metastases (pN+) were found, mostly in levels II and III; pN1, 6; pN2a, 1; pN2b, 18; pN2c, 1. Altogether, stages III and IV were found in 71.4% of the patients. A temporary tracheotomy was required in four patients. There was no secondary laryngectomy, even though it was indicated in one case. Post-treatment oncological followup (median observation time, 104 months) demonstrated loco-regional recurrences (n = 1), late or recurrent metastases (n = 4), persisting metastases in the neck with cerebral metastasis (n = 1), distant metastases (n = 4), secondary tumors (n = 9, 5 of which occurred in the head and neck). Through March 1993, 24 patients (57%) have died. Causes were TNM-related (7), second primary tumor with or without distant metastases (8) and intercurrent disease with no evidence of disease (9). Within 5 years 17% of the patients died of TNM-related tumors, 9.5% due to a second primary with or without distant metastases, as well as 9.5% with intercurrent disease. The 5-year overall survival rate was 64% and was 83% (adjusted survival rate) if only TNM-related deaths were considered.

Most patients with head and neck tumours need supportive long-term nutrition. To guarantee enteral food intake we implanted a nasogastric tube percutaneously without any complications in 108 patients. The advantage of this method of feeding is that the direct percutaneous route avoids any mechanical irritation of the upper gastro-intestinal tract; this could be important, for example, during radiotherapy, because the mucous membranes are already damaged. In addition the gastric tube is invisible below the patient's clothing so that he can move about without embarrassment.

The nutritional state of 99 patients with head and neck malignancies was assessed before, during and up to 18 weeks after radiotherapy (DXRT) using anthropometry, immunology and blood chemistry. 73 patients were fed orally during therapy, first with a normal diet and later, when the side effects of DXRT worsened, with a supplemental liquid formula diet. During the first two weeks 26 patients were treated with a PEG (percutaneous endoscopically controlled gastrostomy) and were fed mainly enterally with formula diets. The parameters of those patients fed orally during DXRT worsened rapidly and only recovered slowly and incompletely. On the contrary, in spite of their poor initial condition, the patients with PEG improved their state of nutrition, even during DXRT. Both the objective parameters of nutrition and the subjective condition of the patients were measured with the help of the "quality of life index". During DXRT the quality of life of both groups deteriorated equally. The objective parameters of nutrition showed that the patient's strength and the capacity for work remained constant. Unexpectedly, after DXRT only the orally fed patients were found to have an improved subjective condition, probably because the PEG patients were reminded of their disease by the tube, in spite of successful completion of tumor therapy. This undoubtedly impedes the return to normal family and working life. Early and consistent enteral diet with PEG helps to stabilize the state of nutrition of patients with head and neck cancer, and is recommended, especially for patients already suffering from malnutrition before starting an aggressive multimodal tumor therapy.

The DNA index and proliferation rate (percentage of S-phase cells) of 52 head and neck tumours were analysed by flow cytometry. Thirty-one (60%) of these tumours were aneuploid, 21 (40%) diploid. The distribution of aneuploid tumours was nearly equal in all T-stages. In contrast, the number of aneuploid tumours increased with higher N-stages. Locoregional recurrences developed more often (69%) in aneuploid tumours than in diploid tumours (54%). Furthermore, recurrence presented earlier (median 5 months) than in the latter (median 11 months). Regional recurrences were mainly observed in aneuploid tumours, local recurrences in diploid tumours.