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Objective: To map oral health‐related standard of care in the context of head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment across the European Union (EU). Materials and Methods: Six hundred and ninety centers across the European Union were contacted. The questionnaire contained questions focusing on the team/department structure, HNC treatment planning routines, and assessment and handling of dental treatment needs prior to cancer treatment. Results: Eighty‐seven centers across the EU responded. Department structure and number of HNC patients treated per year varied widely and dental professionals are included as part of the team in about 25% of the centers. Standard of care, in terms of dental assessment and preventive dentistry routines, such as recording an orthopantomogram, offering dental treatment, and providing a radiation protection splint and splint for fluoride application, differed significantly among the European regions. Independent of the region, these aspects are positively affected if dental professionals are part of the interdisciplinary treatment team and if dental treatment is offered within the center. Conclusion: Dental professionals are still only to a very limited extent included in interdisciplinary treatment planning teams of HNC patients. However, their inclusion and/or offering dental treatment within the same hospital/center appears to improve oral health‐related standard of care. Clinical Relevance: Inclusion of dental professionals in treatment planning teams of HNC patients appears to improve oral health‐related standard of care within HNC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Nephrotoxicity is frequent in cisplatin‐based chemoradiation of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Toxicity outcomes and achieved cisplatin‐doses after change of departmental hydration policy are presented. Methods: We performed a retrospective time‐series analysis of HNSCC patients undergoing chemoradiation with conventional hydration (CH) between 01/2017 and 09/2018 versus shorter hydration with mannitol (SHM) between 09/2018 and 08/2019 to compare the rate of acute kidney injury (AKI) and cumulative cisplatin dose. Results: Among 113 HNSCC patients, SHM (n = 35) in comparison to CH (n = 78) correlated with less AKI (54.3% vs. 74.4%; p = 0.034) and higher cisplatin doses (82.9% vs. 61.5% ≥200 mg/m2; p = 0.025). AKI ≥grade 2 was lower with SHM (2.9% vs. CH: 22.8%; p = 0.01). AKI occurred more frequently in females (92.6% vs. males: 60.5%, p = 0.002). Females received lower cumulative cisplatin doses (51.9% vs. males: 73.3%; p = 0.037). Conclusions: We observed less AKI and higher cumulative chemotherapy doses with SHM. Female patients were at higher risk of AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients who had a previous history of malignant disease, patients with unclear records or patients with tumour-positive resection margins (R1) in the final histological report were excluded. In this case series, patients with PCF after primary laryngopharyngectomy started PORT significantly later than patients without PCF. Our literature search has resulted in only 1 single case series describing 9 patients with orocutaneous fistula and 8 patients with pharyngocutaneous fistula that received radiotherapy over an open fistula.[6] Though 10 of the 17 patients experienced a transient enlargement of the fistula during therapy, none of the patients suffered from any acute fistula-related secondary complication. The two patients irradiated despite open fistula in this series were treated by different physicians in 1994 (patient 2, table) and 2004 (patient 1, table), respectively. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prognostic and predictive impact of β‐catenin, TCF21 and WISP1 expression in patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck who underwent primary radiotherapy or concomitant chemoradiotherapy. Study design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: University hospital. Participants: Protein expression profiles of β‐catenin, TCF21, WISP1 and p16 were determined by immunohistochemical analyses in tissue samples of 59 untreated patients. Expression was correlated with different outcome parameters. Main outcome measures: Impact of TNM classification, grading, sex, age, gender, type of therapy, response to therapy and p16 status on disease‐specific (DSS) and disease‐free survival (DFS). Results: Patients with high expression of TCF21 were associated with significantly worse disease‐specific survival (P = 0.005). In a multivariable analysis, TCF21 was a significant determinant of disease‐specific survival. (HR 3.01; P = 0.036). Conversely, low expression of β‐catenin (P = 0.025) and WISP1 (P = 0.037) revealed a better response to radiotherapy. Conclusion: Since data show that TCF21 is a prognostic factor for disease‐specific survival and WISP1 and ß‐catenin are predictive factors for clinical outcome after definitive radiotherapy, further studies are warranted to prove these preliminary but very promising findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers a study that aims to determine the diagnostic value of Fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in patients with suspicious neck nodes after radiotherapy for malignant tumours of the head and neck. It mentions the data for accuracy of FNAC that performed without ultrasound guidance and a positive FNAC result that leads to cost‐effective therapy decision for salvage treatment.

Background Sinonasal carcinomas are rare. The purpose of this study was for us to present our assessment of the effects of retropharyngeal lymph node involvement at diagnosis on patient outcomes. Methods Retropharyngeal lymph node involvement in 36 patients with sinonasal carcinoma was determined by radiology at initial presentation. Clinical outcome, in particular, overall survival (OS) and locoregional control, was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank testing. Results Retropharyngeal lymph node involvement was associated with statistically significant decreased OS ( P = .0066) in the patient collective. In the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) subgroup (n = 23), decreased OS ( P = .0046) and worse locoregional control ( P = .0065) were observed. In these patients, decreased OS ( P = .0423) and worse locoregional control ( P = .0315) were also seen in the advanced tumor subgroup. Conclusion Retropharyngeal lymph node involvement at diagnosis is a significant prognostic factor for decreased OS and locoregional control in sinonasal carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]