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BACKGROUND: The prognostic importance of intraparotid lymph node metastasis (P+) in patients with primary parotid gland carcinoma is unclear. METHODS: Nineteen retrospective and noncomparative cohort studies, published between 1992 and 2020, met the inclusion criteria and included 2202 patients for this systematic review. RESULTS: The pooled prevalence of the P in adult patients in the unselected studies was 24.10% (95% confidence interval = 17.95-30.25). The number of P+ lymph nodes per patient was counted in only three studies and ranged from 1 to 11. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate based on Kaplan-Meier analysis varied from 83% to 88% in P- patients compared to 36% to 54% in P+ patients. The average hazard ratio for tumor recurrence in patients with P+ compared to P- was 2.67 ± 0.58. CONCLUSIONS: P+ is an independent negative prognostic factor in primary parotid gland cancer and should be included into the treatment planning.

The oropharynx belongs to the upper aerodigestive tract including the base of tongue and vallecula, the posterior pharyngeal wall, the tonsillar region and lateral oropharyngeal walls, and the soft palate and uvula. Most oropharyngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Similar to other head and neck cancers, OPSCCs were traditionally more often diagnosed in heavy smokers/heavy drinkers with lower income, lower socioeconomical background and frequent comorbidities related to their lifestyle. However, the last two decades have witnessed an increase in the incidence of OPSCC related to the emergence of human papillomavirus (HPV) -positive tumours mainly observed in high-income countries. [...]

OBJECTIVES: The study investigated the association between hospital volume and observed survival of patients with a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS: Overall, 9245 patients diagnosed with HNSCC between 2009 and 2014, were identified in the population-based Belgian Cancer Registry. This database was coupled with other databases providing information on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, vital status, and comorbidities. The overall and relative survival probabilities were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier and the Ederer II methods, respectively. The relation between hospital volume and observed survival since diagnosis was then assessed using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: The care for patients with HNSCC in Belgium was dispersed over more than 99 centres with half of the centres treating four or less patients with HNSCC per year. Survival probabilities were significantly better for patients treated in higher volume centres (>20 patients/year): the median survival of patients treated in these centres was 1.1 year longer (5.1 versus 4.0 years) than in lower volume centres. This association was confirmed in analyses taking the case-mix between hospitals into account: the hazard to die of any cause decreased on average with 0.4% per increase of one additionally treated patient. Beyond 20 assigned patients per year, there was no further decrease in the hazard to die. CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant and clinically relevant improved survival probabilities were obtained in patients treated in higher volume centres (>20 patients/year) compared with their peers treated in lower volume centres. This supports the recommendation to concentrate the care for patients with HNSCC in reference centres.

BACKGROUND: Larynx cancer is a common site for tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract. In cases with a clinically negative neck, the indications for an elective neck treatment are still debated. The objective is to define the prevalence of occult metastasis based on the subsite of the primary tumor, T classification and neck node levels involved. METHODS: All studies included provided the rate of occult metastases in cN0 larynx squamous cell carcinoma patients. The main outcome was the incidence of occult metastasis. The pooled incidence was calculated with random effects analysis. RESULTS: 36 studies with 3803 patients fulfilled the criteria. The incidence of lymph node metastases for supraglottic and glottic tumors was 19.9% (95% CI 16.4-23.4) and 8.0% (95% CI 2.7-13.3), respectively. The incidence of occult metastasis for level I, level IV and level V was 2.4% (95% CI 0-6.1%), 2.0% (95% CI 0.9-3.1) and 0.4% (95% CI 0-1.0%), respectively. For all tumors, the incidence for sublevel IIB was 0.5% (95% CI 0-1.3). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of occult lymph node metastasis is higher in supraglottic and T3-4 tumors. Level I and V and sublevel IIB should not be routinely included in the elective neck treatment of cN0 laryngeal cancer and, in addition, level IV should not be routinely included in cases of supraglottic tumors.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this narrative review, we discuss the indications for elective and therapeutic neck dissections and the postoperative surveillance and treatment options for recurrent nodal disease in patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer. RECENT FINDINGS: Increased availability of advanced imaging modalities has led to an increased detection rate of previously occult nodal disease in thyroid cancer. Nodal metastases are more common in young patients, large primary tumors, specific genotypes, and certain histological types. While clinically evident nodal disease in the lateral neck compartments has a significant oncological impact, particularly in the older age group, microscopic metastases to the central or the lateral neck in well-differentiated thyroid cancer do not significantly affect outcome. As patients with clinically evident nodal disease are associated with worse outcomes, they should be treated surgically in order to reduce rates of regional recurrence and improve survival. The benefit of elective neck dissection remains unverified as the impact of microscopic disease on outcomes is not significant.

81-91, Objectives: The study investigated the association between hospital volume and observed survival of patients with a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: Overall, 9245 patients diagnosed with HNSCC between 2009 and 2014, were identified in the population-based Belgian Cancer Registry. This database was coupled with other databases providing information on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, vital status, and comorbidities. The overall and relative survival probabilities were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier and the Ederer II methods, respectively. The relation between hospital volume and observed survival since diagnosis was then assessed using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for potential confounders.

INTRODUCTION: Management of clinically negative neck (cN0) in patients with parotid gland cancer is controversial. Treatment options can include observation, elective neck dissection or elective radiotherapy. AREAS COVERED: We addressed the treatment options for cN0 patients with parotid gland cancer. A literature review was undertaken to determine the optimal management of this group of patients. EXPERT OPINION: Patients with parotid carcinoma and clinically negative neck have various options for their management. The analysis of tumor stage, histology and grade is essential to better define patients at risk for occult lymph node metastasis. These patients can be managed by surgery, radiotherapy or their combination, depending on the presence of risk factors, the moment at which such risk factors are detected, patient-related clinical conditions, medical provider expertise and institutional facilities.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the validity of a treatment strategy for T1N0 glottic squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: One hundred and seventeen patients were prospectively treated according to institutional guidelines. using 1) laser microsurgery (L) for exophytic tumor, limited to one vocal cord, without extension to the anterior commissure or the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage, 2) radiotherapy (RT) for large or infiltrative tumor reaching the anterior commissure or the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage, poor endoscopic exposure and cT1b or 3) partial laryngectomy (PL) for tumor infiltrating the anterior commissure. Ninety-five patients were treated with RT and 22 with surgery alone (S) [L:19; PL:3]. Results: The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were 81.5% and 97.1% (median follow-up: 73 months), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in OS or DSS between patients treated with RT or S (logrank test: p ¼ 0.974 and 0.978). The 5-year ultimate local control rate reached 98.3%. The local control rate with larynx preservation was 94.9% with no difference between RT (94.7%) and S (95.5%) (c2: p¼ 0.891). Continued smoking after RT was significantly associated with a lower 5-year OS (77.9% versus 87%), [HR 3.458; p ¼ 0.043 (95%CI 1.010e11.837)]. Conclusions: For patients with T1 glottic carcinoma, and based on our previous studies, these data prospectively confirm the oncologic validity of an institutional treatment strategy. Continued smoking after RT correlated with poor OS.

In 1994 a decision analysis, based on the literature and utility ratings for outcome by a panel of experienced head and neck physicians, was presented which showed a threshold probability of occult metastases of 20% to recommend elective treatment of the neck. It was stated that recommendations for the management of the cN0 neck are not immutable and should be reconfigured to determine the optimal management based on different sets of underlying assumptions. Although much has changed and is published in the almost 25 years after its publication, up to date this figure is still mentioned in the context of decisions on treatment of the clinically negative (cN0) neck. Therefore, we critically reviewed the developments in diagnostics and therapy and modeling approaches in the context of decisions on treatment of the cN0 neck. However, the results of studies on treatment of the cN0 neck cannot be translated to other settings due to significant differences in relevant variables such as population, culture, diagnostic work-up, follow-up, costs, institutional preferences and other factors. Moreover, patients may have personal preferences and may weigh oncologic outcomes versus morbidity and quality of life differently. Therefore, instead of trying to establish “the” best strategy for the cN0 neck or “the” optimal cut-off point for elective neck treatment, the approach to optimize the management of the cN0 neck would be to develop and implement models and decision support systems that can serve to optimize choices depending on individual, institutional, population and other relevant variables.

34 p., ill., KEY MESSAGES. 1 -- SHORT REPORT. 3 -- 1. BACKGROUND 7 -- 1.1. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES IN ONCOLOGY. 7 -- 1.2. HEAD AND NECK CANCER, A HETEROGENEOUS GROUP OF MALIGNANCIES AFFECTING VARIOUS SITES WITH DIFFERING PROGNOSES. 7 -- 1.3. SCOPE 7 -- 1.4. WHAT THIS STUDY AIMS AT AND DOES NOT AIM AT 7 -- 2. DATA AND METHODS. 8 -- 2.1. THE DATABASE - A LINKAGE BETWEEN THE BELGIAN CANCER REGISTRY AND ADMINISTRATIVE DATABASES. 8 -- 2.2. THE PATIENTS - DIAGNOSED IN 2009-2014, WITH EXCLUSION OF PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE AND RECURRENT TUMOURS 9 -- 2.3. ASSIGNMENT OF PATIENTS TO A CENTRE OF DIAGNOSIS, A CENTRE OF MAIN TREATMENT AND A CENTRE OF FIRST TREATMENT 9 -- 2.4. CASE-MIX ADJUSTMENT 9 -- 2.5. IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION OF POSSIBLE QUALITY INDICATORS 9 -- 2.6. VALIDATION STUDY AND SUBSEQUENT DATA CHECKS. 10 -- 2.7. STATISTICAL ANALYSES 10 -- 3. QUALITY OF CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA 11 -- 3.1. A COHORT OF 9 245 HNSCC PATIENTS DIAGNOSED IN 2009-2014 11 -- 3.2. MAIN THERAPEUTIC PROCEDURES: RADIOTHERAPY AND SURGERY 13 -- 3.3. LARGE DISPERSION OF CARE IN BELGIUM. 13 -- 3.4. RESULTS FOR 12 QUALITY INDICATORS 14 -- 3.4.1. Diagnosis and staging 15 -- 3.4.2. Treatment 18 -- 3.4.3. Safety of care – 30-day mortality after treatment with curative intent 20 -- 3.4.4. Survival after the diagnosis of HNSCC 22 -- 3.5. ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HOSPITAL VOLUME AND SURVIVAL 22 -- 4. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS 24 -- 5. CONCLUSIONS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR THE FUTURE 26 -- RECOMMENDATIONS 28 -- REFERENCES 31

28 p., ill., Le Centre fédéral d’expertise des soins de santé (KCE), le Registre du cancer et le Collège d'oncologie mènent depuis plusieurs années un travail de fond pour améliorer la qualité des soins aux patients atteints de cancer. La dernière étude en date porte sur les cancers de la tête et du cou. Un ensemble d'indicateurs de qualité et d'objectifs à atteindre a été défini avec l’aide d’experts de terrain, et les soins délivrés dans les hôpitaux belges ont ensuite été évalués sur cette base. Une fois de plus, le KCE a constaté que les chances de survie sont significativement plus élevées dans les hôpitaux qui traitent, par an, plus de 20 patients atteints de ce type de cancers, un seuil que seuls 23 hôpitaux atteignent (soit moins d’un quart des hôpitaux de notre pays). Le KCE recommande donc de centraliser le traitement de ces cancers dans les hôpitaux disposant de l'expertise nécessaire, comme cela vient d’être décidé pour la chirurgie des cancers de l'œsophage et du pancréas. Simultanément à la publication de cette étude, chaque hôpital évalué recevra un rapport de feedback du Registre du cancer, contenant ses propres résultats pour les différents indicateurs et sa situation par rapport aux autres hôpitaux (benchmarking) afin d’adopter des mesures pour améliorer la qualité des soins., MESSAGES CLÉS 2 -- SYNTHÈSE 4 -- 1. CONTEXTE. 7 -- 1.1. INITIATIVES POUR L’AMÉLIORATION DE LA QUALITÉ DES SOINS EN ONCOLOGIE 7 -- 1.2. CARACÉTRISTIQUES DES CANCERS DE LA TÊTE ET DU COU. 8 -- 1.3. OBJECTIF DE CETTE ÉTUDE. 8 -- 2. COMMENT AVONS-NOUS PROCÉDÉ ? 9 -- 2.1. COUPLAGE ENTRE LES DONNÉES DU REGISTRE DU CANCER ET D’AUTRES BASES DE DONNÉES ADMINISTRATIVES 9 -- 2.2. COLLABORATION ÉTROITE AVEC DES EXPERTS CLINIQUES 9 -- 2.3. PLUS DE 9 000 PATIENTS INCLUS ENTRE 2009 ET 2014 9 -- 2.4. PRISE EN COMPTE DES CARACTÉRISTIQUES DU PATIENT ET DE LA TUMEUR 10 -- 2.5. IDENTIFICATION ET SÉLECTION DES INDICATEURS DE QUALITÉ 10 -- 2.6. VALIDATION ET ANALYSES STATISTIQUES 10 -- 2.7. AVERTISSEMENT : LES DONNÉES ADMINISTRATIVES NÉCESSITENT UNE INTERPRÉTATION PRUDENTE 10 -- 3. QUALITÉ DES SOINS AUX PATIENTS ATTEINTS D’UN CANCER DE LA TÊTE ET DU COU 11 -- 3.1. ANALYSE DES DONNÉES DE PLUS DE 9 000 PATIENTS 11 -- 3.2. TRAITEMENT PRINCIPAL : RADIOTHÉRAPIE OU CHIRURGIE 11 -- 3.3. GRANDE DISPERSION DES SOINS 12 -- 3.4. RÉSULTATS POUR 12 INDICATEURS DE QUALITÉ 12 -- 3.4.1. Diagnostic et stadification de la tumeur 15 -- 3.4.2. Traitement 16 -- 3.4.3. Mortalité à 30 jours après un traitement curatif 17 -- 3.4.4. Survie après le diagnostic 17 -- 3.5. LIEN ENTRE LA SURVIE ET L’EXPÉRIENCE DE L’ÉQUIPE SOIGNANTE. 18 -- 3.6. CE QUE NOUS NE SAVONS PAS (ENCORE)… 20 -- 3.7. DÉCLARATION INSUFFISANTE AU REGISTRE DU CANCER 20 -- 4. CONCLUSION 21 -- RECOMMANDATIONS 22 -- RÉFÉRENCES 25

28 p., ill., In België nemen het Federaal Kenniscentrum voor de Gezondheidszorg (KCE), het Kankerregister en het College voor Oncologie al een aantal jaren initiatieven om de zorgkwaliteit voor kankerpatiënten te verbeteren. Deze keer werd de zorg voor mensen met hoofd- en halskanker onder de loep genomen. Het KCE stelde samen met klinische experten een set van kwaliteitsindicatoren en te behalen doelstellingen op, en evalueerde aan de hand daarvan de zorg die in de Belgische ziekenhuizen wordt aangeboden. Opnieuw stelde het KCE vast dat de kans op overleving significant groter is in ziekenhuizen die jaarlijks meer dan 20 patiënten met hoofd- en halskanker verzorgen. In België halen 23 ziekenhuizen (of minder dan één vierde van de ziekenhuizen) deze drempel. Het KCE beveelt daarom aan om de zorg voor deze patiënten te centraliseren in ziekenhuizen met de nodige expertise, zoals dit onlangs ook gebeurde voor slokdarm- en pancreaskankerchirurgie. Op het moment van deze publicatie ontvangt elk betrokken ziekenhuis een feedbackrapport van het Kankerregister met daarin zijn resultaten en situering t.o.v. de andere ziekenhuizen (benchmarking), zodat verbetertrajecten kunnen opgestart worden., KERN BOODSCHAPPEN 2 -- SYNTHESE 4 -- 1. ACHTERGROND 7 -- 1.1. INITIATIEVEN VOOR KWALITEITSVERBETERING IN DE ONCOLOGIE 7 -- 1.2. KENMERKEN VAN HOOFD- EN HALSKANKER 8 -- 1.3. DOELSTELLING VAN DEZE STUDIE 8 -- 2. HOE GINGEN WE TE WERK? 9 -- 2.1. EEN KOPPELING TUSSEN DE GEGEVENS VAN HET KANKERREGISTER EN ANDERE ADMINISTRATIEVE DATABANKEN 9 -- 2.2. NAUWE SAMENWERKING MET KLINISCHE EXPERTEN 9 -- 2.3. MEER DAN 9 000 PATIËNTEN BESTUDEERD, GEDIAGNOSTICEERD IN 2009-2014 9 -- 2.4. REKENING HOUDEN MET PATIËNT- EN TUMORKENMERKEN 10 -- 2.5. IDENTIFICATIE EN SELECTIE VAN KWALITEITSINDICATOREN 10 -- 2.6. VALIDATIE EN STATISTISCHE ANALYSES 10 -- 2.7. KANTTEKENING: ADMINISTRATIEVE DATA VRAGEN EEN VOORZICHTIGE INTERPRETATIE 10 -- 3. KWALITEIT VAN ZORG VOOR PATIËNTEN MET HOOFD-EN HALSKANKER 11 -- 3.1. ANALYSE VAN DE GEGEVENS VAN MEER DAN 9 000 PATIËNTEN 11 -- 3.2. VOORAL RADIOTHERAPIE EN CHIRURGIE 11 -- 3.3. GROTE ZORGSPREIDING 11 -- 3.4. RESULTATEN VOOR 12 KWALITEITSINDICATOREN 12 -- 3.4.1. Diagnose en stadiëring van de tumor 14 -- 3.4.2. Behandeling 16 -- 3.4.3. Mortaliteit op 30 dagen na een curatieve behandeling 17 -- 3.4.4. Overleving na de diagnose 17 -- 3.5. VERBAND TUSSEN OVERLEVING EN ERVARING VAN ZORGTEAM 17 -- 3.6. WAT WE (NOG) NIET WETEN…. 19 -- 3.7. ONVOLDOENDE RAPPORTERING AAN HET KANKERREGISTER 20 -- 4. CONCLUSIE 21 -- AANBEVELINGEN 22 -- REFERENTIES 25

313 p., ill., TABLE OF CONTENTS.1 -- LIST OF FIGURES 5 -- LIST OF TABLES.8 -- LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .19 --  SCIENTIFIC REPORT 22 -- 1 INTRODUCTION.22 -- 1.1 HEAD AND NECK CANCER IN BELGIUM22 -- 1.2 DISPERSION OF CARE IN BELGIUM 23 -- 1.3 MEASURING QUALITY 24 -- 2 OBJECTIVES, SCOPE & TERMINOLOGY .25 -- 2.1 WHAT THIS STUDY AIMS AT AND DOES NOT AIM AT .25 -- 2.2 PRECEDING STEPS 26 -- 2.3 SCOPE.26 -- 2.4 TARGET AUDIENCE 26 -- 2.5 TERMINOLOGY 26 -- 3 METHODOLOGY27 -- 3.1 STEP 1: IDENTIFICATION OF THE TARGET POPULATION: DATA SELECTION AND LINKAGE OF DATABASES.27 -- 3.1.1 Selection of the study population in the Belgian Cancer Registry database .27 -- 3.1.2 Linkage with health insurance data.29 -- 3.1.3 Linkage with hospital discharge data.30 -- 3.1.4 Vital status30 -- 3.2 STEP 2: IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION OF POSSIBLE QUALITY INDICATORS .30 -- 3.2.1 Identification of possible quality indicators 30 -- 3.2.2 Selection process and results 31 -- 3.2.3 Measurability of selected quality indicators 32 -- 3.2.4 Final selection of quality indicators to be fully elaborated32 -- 3.3 STEP 3: OPERATIONALIZATION OF INDICATORS 34 -- 3.3.1 Technical fiches 34 -- 3.3.2 Defining diagnostic and therapeutic procedures based on health insurance data.34 -- 3.3.3 Defining the treatment scheme of the patient 38 -- 3.3.4 Statistical analyses 38 -- 3.3.5 Case-mix adjustment .41 -- 3.4 STEP 4: ASSIGNMENT OF EACH PATIENT TO ONE CENTRE.45 -- 3.5 STEP 5: VALIDATION OF DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC DATA .46 -- 3.5.1 Introduction and methodology 46 -- 3.5.2 Validation of the algorithm to assign patients to one treatment hospital .47 -- 3.5.3 Validation of patient and tumour characteristics and of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures as identified in the health insurance data linked to cancer registry data .48 -- 3.6 STEP 6: MEASUREMENT OF QUALITY INDICATORS, AT NATIONAL LEVEL AND BY CENTRE.50 -- 3.7 STEP 7: INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS.50 -- 4 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDY SAMPLE .50 -- 4.1 BASELINE DEMOGRAPHICS