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Objectives: To investigate the role of oral lichen planus (OLP) on the long‐term prognosis of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). Methods: Retrospective single‐centre cohort study using the 2007–2019 database of the Head and Neck Cancer and Oral Medicine units of University College London Hospital. The exposure of interest was the presence of OLP, and the prognostic outcomes included the development of new primary episodes of OED, progression to malignancy and mortality. Cox proportional hazard and Poisson regression models were performed. Results: A total of 299 patients, of whom 144 had OED arising on the background of OLP (OLP/OED) and 155 had OED without underlying OLP (non‐OLP/OED), were included. A pre‐existing diagnosis of OLP was significantly associated with a twofold increased risk of subsequent primary OED events (HR = 2.02, p = 0.04), which also developed faster (1.46 vs. 2.96 years, p = 0.04) and with more involvement of non‐cancer‐prone sites (p = 0.001) than in the non‐OLP/OED group. There was no difference between groups in the progression to malignancy or mortality. Conclusions: Oral lichen planus/OED patients are at higher risk of multiple episodes of primary OED, which can develop faster and at non‐cancer‐prone sites as compared to non‐OLP/OED individuals. Further research is needed to clarify the effects of OLP upon progression to OSCC and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the established benefits of negative‐pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in various wound healing contexts, its application in head and neck surgical cases remains under‐explored. This study aimed to systematically review its effectiveness, safety, and comparative efficacy. Thirty‐one studies from a systematic literature search were identified and analyzed for wound healing response, overall success rate, improvements compared to conventional wound care, and variation in pressure settings, treatment lengths, and dressing change frequency. NPWT showed enhanced outcomes across diverse head and neck wounds, particularly complex post‐reconstructive wounds and severe infections. Despite the predominantly case report/series evidence and lack of standardized NPWT protocols, its benefits over conventional care were clear. NPWT emerges as a promising approach for head and neck wound management, potentially improving patient outcomes and reducing complications. More randomized controlled trials are needed to solidify the evidence and standardize NPWT application protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Delays in the identification and referral of oral cancer remain frequent. An accurate and non‐invasive diagnostic test to be performed in primary care may help identifying oral cancer at an early stage and reduce mortality. Point‐of‐care Analysis for Non‐invasive Diagnosis of Oral cancer (PANDORA) was a proof‐of‐concept prospective diagnostic accuracy study aimed at advancing the development of a dielectrophoresis‐based diagnostic platform for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and epithelial dysplasia (OED) using a novel automated DEPtech 3DEP analyser. Methods: The aim of PANDORA was to identify the set‐up of the DEPtech 3DEP analyser associated with the highest diagnostic accuracy in identifying OSCC and OED from non‐invasive brush biopsy samples, as compared to the gold standard test (histopathology). Measures of accuracy included sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value. Brush biopsies were collected from individuals with histologically proven OSCC and OED, histologically proven benign mucosal disease, and healthy mucosa (standard test), and analysed via dielectrophoresis (index test). Results: 40 individuals with OSCC/OED and 79 with benign oral mucosal disease/healthy mucosa were recruited. Sensitivity and specificity of the index test was 86.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 71.9%–95.6%) and 83.6% (95% CI, 73.0%–91.2%). Analysing OSCC samples separately led to higher diagnostic accuracy, with 92.0% (95% CI, 74.0%–99.0%) sensitivity and 94.5% (95% CI, 86.6%–98.5%) specificity. Conclusion: The DEPtech 3DEP analyser has the potential to identify OSCC and OED with notable diagnostic accuracy and warrants further investigation as a potential triage test in the primary care setting for patients who may need to progress along the diagnostic pathway and be offered a surgical biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this report is to introduce the use of the dermal substitute Integra® in the context of free fibula flap prelamination for mandibular reconstruction. Three cases of mandibular reconstruction with prefabricated and Integra-prelaminated vascularized fibula flaps are reported in this article. The patients reported in this case series presented with the following tumours: an extensive cemento-ossyfying fibroma, a multicystic ameloblastoma and an extensive calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumour. Virtual three-dimensional (3D) planning and 3D-printed cutting guides were used for the mandibulectomies, the flap harvest and the positioning of the implants. The dermal substitute Integra was used for prelamination instead of skin grafts. Treatment of all 3 patients was performed in two stages; the first consisted of the fibula prefabrication (dental implant insertion) and prelamination, and the second consisted of tumor resection and reconstruction with the vascularized implant-bearing fibula flap. Integra was shown to be able to generate complete mucosa-like tissue over the fibula flaps and in the peri-implant areas. The patients have been followed up for 1, 3 and 7 years, respectively, with satisfactory prosthetic, functional and aesthetic results. None of the patients developed peri-implant disease. It was observed that prelamination with the dermal substitute Integra leads to development of mucosal lining with clinical features similar to oral mucosa. In this report of three cases, use of Integra as part of the prelamination and prefabrication process, instead of skin grafts, appears able to clinically generate mucosal lining with avoidance of skin grafts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multimodality treatment for head and neck cancer leads to substantial functional and esthetic impairment mainly manifested as radiation‐induced skin fibrosis (RIF) in combination with volumetric defects and reduction in neck mobility. This study assessed the impact of lipotransfer as part of secondary surgical procedure(s) in patients treated for head and neck malignancies. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed between 2005 and 2016. All patients with a history of head and neck malignancy, multimodal treatment including at least surgery or radiotherapy, and at least 2‐year disease‐free survival were included. Thirty‐eight patients (22 men, 16 women) matched the inclusion criteria. Results: Thirty seven (97%) reported esthetic and functional improvements in their RIF and volumetric defect at follow‐up of 32 months. Major improvement in esthetic and functional outcome was reported by 24 (63%) patients and surgeons and minor by 13 patients and surgeons (34%) without causing any complications. Lipotransfer was also found to significantly improve patient's psychological health postoperatively as showed by significant improvements in Derriford Appearance Scale (DAS24), Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36), and University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW‐QOL V4) scores (P < .001). Conclusions: Lipotransfer is effective for volume restoration and treating scar and RIF from head and neck defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 70-year-old woman presented with a 10-month history of an irregular mass in the left lateral nape of her neck which had recently increased in size rapidly. Ultrasoundguided core needle biopsy was obtained, and the tumour was diagnosed as a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Further imaging studies failed to demonstrate additional malignant characteristics. In view of these findings, a wide local excision of the tumour was performed. Histopathological assessment of the resected tumour revealed a proliferating trichilemmal tumour with well-differentiated features and smooth invasion front. This article serves as an important reminder of the challenges associated with pathological evaluation of core needle biopsies of adnexal tumours. It emphasises the importance of clinical-radiological-pathological correlation preferably in a multidisciplinary team setting prior to agreeing on a definitive management plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. Clinical Relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of cancer prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team, in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. Clinical relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of prognostication, quality of life and oral and dental healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. Clinical relevance: This article offers the dental team a brief overview of chemotherapy and targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. Clinical Relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of the use of radiotherapy, and its effects on the mouth and other tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. Clinical relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of surgery for the treatment of mouth cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. Clinical Relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of the multidisciplinary team (MDT; or multi-speciality team) and its roles, and an overview of the implications of therapies that are discussed more fully in future articles in the series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. Clinical Relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of referral procedures; oral diagnosis is not always simple and a second opinion can be valuable to all concerned in cases of doubt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family.Clinical Relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of diagnosis, diagnostic and pre-treatment procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team, in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family.Clinical Relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of oral potentially malignant disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team, in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. Clinical Relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of other cancer risk factors agents, such as human papilloma viruses (HPV) and irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team, in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family.Clinical Relevance: This article offers the dental team an overview of the main cancer risk factors, namely tobacco and alcohol, betel and other chewing habits, and environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team, in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. CPD/CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This article offers the dental team an overview of the main cancer risk factors, tobacco and alcohol, betel and other chewing habits, and environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team, in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MEDLINE search early in 2015 revealed more than 250,000 papers on head and neck cancer; over 100,000 on oral cancer; and over 60,000 on mouth cancer. Not all publications contain robust evidence. We endeavour to encapsulate the most important of the latest information and advances now employed in practice, in a form comprehensible to healthcare workers, patients and their carers. This series offers the primary care dental team, in particular, an overview of the aetiopathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and multidisciplinary care of mouth cancer, the functional and psychosocial implications, and minimization of the impact on the quality of life of patient and family. Clinical Relevance: This article offers the dental team a simplified overview of carcinogenesis, and a review of cancers that affect the oral region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We evaluated the role of 18FDG PET/CT used to assess response to preoperative chemotherapy in patients with primary craniofacial bone sarcomas. Fourteen patients with craniofacial bone sarcomas (13 osteosarcoma, 1 spindle cell sarcoma) were retrospectively evaluated. All patients received up to 6 cycles of preoperative chemotherapy followed by resection of the primary tumour. Response to treatment was assessed using MRI (RECIST criteria) and 18FDG PET/CT (EORTC guidelines), performed at least at baseline, after 2-4 cycles and pre-operatively. Results The median baseline 18FDG PET/CT SUV was 10.2 (range 0-41); in 2 patients no uptake was detected. The preoperative 18FDG PET/CT, compared with the baseline, demonstrated a partial metabolic response in 7 patients (59%), complete metabolic response in 2 (16%) and stable metabolic disease in 3 (25%). In contrast, only two patients achieved a RECIST response on MRI: 10 (83%) had stable disease. One patient underwent early resection due to clinical progression after an initial response to treatment. This was confirmed by PET (SUV from 21 to 42) but not on MRI. Twelve of 14 patients (86%) had <90% histological necrosis in the resected tumour. At a median follow-up 23 months, 11 patients (79%) remain disease free, two had metastatic progression (14%) and 1 a local relapse (7%). The median DFS was 17 months. For those patients who achieved a response to preoperative 18 FDG PET/CT the median DFS was 19 months (range: 1-66) compared with 3 months (range: 3-13) in those who did not (p = 0.01). In contrast, the median disease free survival (DFS) did not differ according to histological response (19 versus 17 months, >90% versus <90% necrosis, p = 0.45) or resection margins (19 months for R0 versus 18 months for R1, p = 0.2). Conclusion 18FDG PET/CT is more reliable than standard imaging in evaluating response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in craniofacial bone sarcomas, changed management in one patient, and in this small series, correlated better with patient outcome than histological response and resection margins. These results warrant prospective validation in a larger cohort of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human papillomavirus positive (HPV+) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an emerging disease, representing a distinct clinical and epidemiological entity. Understanding the genetic basis of this specific subtype of cancer could allow therapeutic targeting of affected pathways for a stratified medicine approach. Methods: Twenty HPV+ and 20 HPV- laser-capture microdissected oropharyngeal carcinomas were used for pairedend sequencing of hybrid-captured DNA, targeting 3,230 exons in 182 genes often mutated in cancer. Copy number alteration (CNA) profiling, Sequenom MassArray sequencing and immunohistochemistry were used to further validate findings. Results: HPV+ and HPV- oropharyngeal carcinomas cluster into two distinct subgroups. TP53 mutations are detected in 100% of HPV negative cases and abrogation of the G1/S checkpoint by CDKN2A/B deletion and/or CCND1 amplification occurs in the majority of HPV- tumors. Conclusion: These findings strongly support a causal role for HPV, acting via p53 and RB pathway inhibition, in the pathogenesis of a subset of oropharyngeal cancers and suggest that studies of CDK inhibitors in HPV- disease may be warranted. Mutation and copy number alteration of PI3 kinase (PI3K) pathway components appears particularly prevalent in HPV+ tumors and assessment of these alterations may aid in the interpretation of current clinical trials of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR inhibitors in HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents a distinct clinical and epidemiological condition compared with HPV-negative (HPV-) HNSCC. To test the possible involvement of epigenetic modulation by HPV in HNSCC, we conducted a genome-wide DNA-methylation analysis. Methods: Using laser-capture microdissection of 42 formalin-fixed paraffin wax-embedded (FFPE) HNSCCs, we generated DNA-methylation profiles of 18 HPV+ and 14 HPV- samples, using Infinium 450 k BeadArray technology. Methylation data were validated in two sets of independent HPV+/HPV- HNSCC samples (fresh-frozen samples and cell lines) using two independent methods (Infinium 450 k and whole-genome methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-seq)). For the functional analysis, an HPV- HNSCC cell line was transduced with lentiviral constructs containing the two HPV oncogenes (E6 and E7), and effects on methylation were assayed using the Infinium 450 k technology. Results and discussion: Unsupervised clustering over the methylation variable positions (MVPs) with greatest variation showed that samples segregated in accordance with HPV status, but also that HPV+ tumors are heterogeneous. MVPs were significantly enriched at transcriptional start sites, leading to the identification of a candidate CpG island methylator phenotype in a sub-group of the HPV+ tumors. Supervised analysis identified a strong preponderance (87%) of MVPs towards hypermethylation in HPV+ HNSCC. Meta-analysis of our HNSCC and publicly available methylation data in cervical and lung cancers confirmed the observed DNA-methylation signature to be HPV-specific and tissue-independent. Grouping of MVPs into functionally more significant differentially methylated regions identified 43 hypermethylated promoter DMRs, including for three cadherins of the Polycomb group target genes. Integration with independent expression data showed strong negative correlation, especially for the cadherin gene-family members. Combinatorial ectopic expression of the two HPV oncogenes (E6 and E7) in an HPV- HNSCC cell line partially phenocopied the hypermethylation signature seen in HPV+ HNSCC tumors, and established E6 as the main viral effector gene. Conclusions: Our data establish that archival FFPE tissue is very suitable for this type of methylome analysis, and suggest that HPV modulates the HNSCC epigenome through hypermethylation of Polycomb repressive complex 2 target genes such as cadherins, which are implicated in tumor progression and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]