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The aim of this study was to explore post-treatment speech impairments using English version of Speech Handicap Index (SHI) (first speech-specific questionnaire) in a cohort of oral cavity (OC) and oropharyngeal (OP) cancer patients. Sixty-three consecutive OC and OP cancer patients in follow-up participated in this study. Descriptive analyses have been presented as percentages, while Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskall-Wallis test have been used for the quantitative variables. Statistical Package for Social Science-15 statistical software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) was used for the statistical analyses. Over a third (36.1%) of patients reported their speech as either average or bad. Speech intelligibility and articulation were the main speech concerns for 58.8% and 52.9% OC and 31.6% and 34.2% OP cancer patients, respectively. While feeling of incompetent and being less outgoing were the speech-related psychosocial concerns for 64.7% and 23.5% OC and 15.8% and 18.4% OP cancer patients, respectively. Worse speech outcomes were noted for oral tongue and base of tongue cancers vs. tonsillar cancers, mean (SD) values were 56.7 (31.3) and 52.0 (38.4) vs. 10.9 (14.8) (P<0.001) and late vs. early T stage cancers 65.0 (29.9) vs. 29.3 (32.7) (P<0.005). The English version of the SHI is a reliable, valid and useful tool for the evaluation of speech in HNC patients. Over one-third of OC and OP cancer patients reported speech problems in their day-do-day life. Advanced T-stage tumors affecting the oral tongue or base of tongue are particularly associated with poor speech outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is a surgical staging test in which sentinel nodes (SNs) undergo intensive histological analysis. SNB diagnoses early cancer spread, but can also reveal unexpected findings within the SNs. We review cases of incidental thyroid cells (TC) found in SNs from patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to assess the prevalence of TC, and the clinical significance of these., Methods: Multicenter retrospective review of SNB performed for cT1-T2N0 OSCC. Incidental TC were identified by TTF-1 or thyroglobulin positivity. Anatomical location of nodes containing TC, TC morphology, and ongoing management/follow up of this incidental finding was recorded. Neck dissections performed during the same period were reviewed to establish the expected incidence of TC in neck nodes without serial sectioning analysis., Results: 278 SNB cases were reviewed. Ten procedures detected TC in nine patients (10/278, 3.6%). During the same time period 725 neck dissections were performed, six containing TCs (6/725, 0.8%). One patient underwent SNB twice with TC identified on both occasions. Three patients had both OSCC metastasis and thyroid cells. All SNB patients with TC identified underwent thyroid USS with no primary tumours identified. Three patients underwent thyroidectomy, in all cases no primary thyroid tumour was found., Conclusion: Prevalence of incidental TC in SNs appears to be higher than that reported in neck dissections, these are not likely to be clinically relevant and can be managed on a conservative basis in the absence of clear metastatic features., Level of Evidence: Multicentre retrospective cohort study, 3 Laryngoscope, 134:1278-1281, 2024., (© 2023 The Authors. The Laryngoscope published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Introduction: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a frequent skin cancer with a high risk of recurrence characterized by tumor infiltration and, in advanced cases, a poor prognosis. ECT (electrochemotherapy) is an alternative treatment option for locally advanced or recurrent cSCC that is unsuitable for surgical resection. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the data in the InspECT (International Network for Sharing Practice on ECT) registry of the referral centers and to clarify the indications for the use of ECT as a treatment modality for cSCC., Materials and Methods: Patients with primary, recurrent or locally advanced cSCC from 18 European centers were included. They underwent at least one ECT session with bleomycin between February 2008 and November 2020, which was performed following the European Standard Operating Procedures., Results: The analysis included 162 patients (mean age of 80 years; median, 1 lesion/patient). Side effects were mainly local and mild (hyperpigmentation, 11%; ulceration, 11%; suppuration, 4%). The response to treatment per patient was 62% complete and 21% partial. In the multivariate model, intravenous drug administration and small tumor size showed a significant association with a positive outcome (objective response). One-year local progression-free survival was significantly better (p<0.001) in patients with primary tumors (80% (95% C.I. 70%-90%) than in patients with locally advanced disease (49% (95% C.I. 30%-68%)., Conclusion: In the present study, ECT showed antitumor activity and a favorable safety profile in patients with complex cSCC for whom there was no widely accepted standard of care. Better results were obtained in primary and small tumors (<3 cm) using intravenous bleomycin administration., Competing Interests: FT is an IGEA employer. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Bertino, Groselj, Campana, Kunte, Schepler, Gehl, Muir, Clover, Quaglino, Kis, Mascherini, Bisase, Pecorari, Bechara, Matteucci, Odili, Russano, Orlando, Pritchard-Jones, Moir, Mowatt, Silvestri, Seccia, Saxinger, de Terlizzi and Sersa.)

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy is an increasingly recognised option for accurate staging and subsequent management of the clinically negative neck in early stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma. However, the technique is currently underused due to several logistic constraints including increased burden on pathology services. Here, we describe the feasibility of an outsourced centralised pathology processing and reporting service for sentinel lymph node biopsies in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma., Patients and Methods: The Southeast England Consortium comprises four surgical centres utilising a central pathology service. Consecutive cases between January 2016 and February 2020 were retrospectively evaluated for survival outcomes and laboratory turnaround times., Results: Twenty-eight per cent from a cohort of 139 patients had positive sentinel nodes. There was a trend towards greater overall, disease-free and disease-specific survival (OS, DFS and DSS, respectively) in sentinel node negative compared to sentinel node positive patients, but these differences were not statistically significant. The sensitivity, negative predictive value and false negative rate were 92.8%, 97.0% and 6.8%, respectively. The mean and mode laboratory TAT were 5 and 4 working days, respectively., Conclusion: An outsourced centralised pathology service is a feasible option to widen the availability of sentinel node biopsy in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Facial transplants represent the current exemplar in the reconstruction of severely damaged faces, whereas conventional free flap reconstruction has its limitations in restoring both function and surface cover., Methods: In a retrospective study over 6 years (2014-2020), 5 cases (n = 5) of vascularized nerve flaps (VNFs) were performed by our team. These involved three acute and two late reconstructions. The mean age was 41 years with a maximum of 6-year follow-up. To objectify the different permutations and combinations, we categorized composite, chimeric, and hybrid VNFs into types I, IIa-c, and III, each with a unique characteristic. Postoperative function was evaluated using the validated Sunnybrook and Terzis scores for facial nerve palsy; masticatory function was assessed using dental impression studies., Results: There was a 100% flap survival rate, with no instances of flap necrosis and only one complication: hematoma at 24 hours postoperative. Sunnybrook and Terzis scores showed a statistically significant improvement postoperatively, indicating both improved repose and facial expressions (paired student t test, P < 0.05). Given that each VNF was specifically customized for a particular patient, each type of VNF in this cohort was unique, thereby illustrating each type succinctly., Conclusions: VNFs are separate entities from standard free flaps, as they require extensive preoperative planning to allow the deconstructing of composite blocks of tissue into separate vascularized entities and amalgamating them into a new conglomerate. This allows VNFs to fill a niche area in facial reconstructive surgery between face transplants and conventional free tissue transfers, with enormous potential., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.)

Objectives: To determine the overall recurrence rate (RR) and malignant transformation rate (MTR) of high grade oral mucosal epithelial dysplasias (HGOED)., Materials & Methods: A clinicopathological review of records of patients diagnosed with a unifocal HGOED between 2004 and 2016 on incisional biopsy who then underwent excision. The mean duration of follow-up was 47.7 months (±29.9 SD)., Results: Full demographic, historical and histopathological data were available for 120 patients. Six were lost to follow-up after excisional biopsy. Invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was present in 19 (18.3%) excisions. HGOED affected the lateral and ventral tongue in 58% of patients. Fourteen (11.7%) were not treated surgically but kept under surveillance. The overall RR was 34.7% (33 patients) and MTR 17.8% (17 patients). Four of the 14 (28.6%) patients who had not had the HGOED excised developed SCC, by contrast to the 13 of the 106 (12.3%) who had been treated. RR was significantly associated with positive excision margins (p = 0.007; OR = 3.6) and a clinical presentation of erythroplakia (p = 0.023; OR = 1.5). MTR was significantly associated with age (p = 0.034), clinical appearance (p = 0.030), site (p = 0.007), treatment received (p = 0.012) and positive excision margins (p = 0.007). The mean time for recurrence to develop was 62 months (±31.5 SD) (range 22-144 months), that for malignant transformation was 50 months (±32.5 SD) (range 8-97 months)., Conclusion: Patients with HGOED require follow-up for at least 10 years after treatment. Younger age, homogeneous clinical appearance, complete excision, a larger excision specimen and clear margins all improve prognosis., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: With extending life expectancy, more people are diagnosed with cutaneous malignancies at advanced ages and are offered nonsurgical treatment. We assessed outcomes of the oldest-old adults after electrochemotherapy (ECT)., Methods: The International Network for Sharing Practices of ECT (InspECT) registry was queried for adults aged ≥90 years (ys) with skin cancers/cutaneous metastases of any histotype who underwent bleomycin-ECT (2006-2019). These were subanalysed with patients aged <90 ys after matching 1:2 for tumor location, number, size, histotype, and previous treatments. We assessed ECT modalities, toxicity (CTCAE), response (RECIST), and patient perception (EQ-5D)., Results: Sixty-one patients represented the study cohort (median 92 ys, range 92-104), 122 the control group (median 77 ys, range 23-89). Among the oldest-old, 44 patients (72%) had primary/recurrent skin cancers, 17 (28%) cutaneous metastases. Median tumour size was 15 mm (range, 5-450). The oldest-old adults underwent ECT mainly under local/regional anaesthesia (59% vs 39% p = .012). We observed no differences regarding dose and route of chemotherapy (intravenous vs intratumoral, p = .308), electrode geometry (linear vs hexagonal, p = .172) and procedural duration (18 vs 21 min, p = .378). Complete response (57.4 [95%-CI 44.1%-70.0%] vs 64.7% [95%-CI 55.6%-73.2%], p = .222) and 1-year local control (76.7% vs 81.7, p = .092) rates were comparable. Pain and skin hyperpigmentation were mild in both groups. Skin ulceration persisted longer in the oldest-old patients (4.4 vs 2.4 months, p = .008)., Conclusions: The oldest-old adults with cutaneous malignancies undergo ECT most commonly under local/regional anaesthesia with safety profiles and clinical effectiveness similar to their younger counterparts, except in case of ulcerated tumors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest GS, MM, JO, JG, GB, BB, PC, EK, VL, TM, AO, RPJ, PQ, JPC, PM, and LGC received travel grants from IGEA S.p.A. (Carpi, Italy) to attend the annual InspECT meeting. FdT is IGEA S.p.A. employee. IGEA S.p.A. hosts the InspECT database, which is administered by an independent board; IGEA did not take part in study design, data collection and interpretation, and manuscript preparation. GAGM, CDP, RS, RC, and SV have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to the routine operations of healthcare services across the world. As the potential duration of the pandemic remains uncertain, the need to develop strategies to continue urgent elective services has received increasing attention. A solution adopted in the Kent, Sussex and Surrey area of England has been to create COVID-19-protected cancer hubs. The Queen Victoria Hospital is the designated hub for head and neck cancer services in the area. We report on the evolution of the head and neck cancer care pathway and standard operating protocols put in place and how these have combined both national guidelines and local problem solving. It is hoped that our experience can help guide other centres as they re-establish head and neck cancer services during the ongoing pandemic., (Crown Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Electrochemotherapy has been used successfully for treatment of recurrent head and neck skin cancers and skin metastasis. It combines both electroporation and chemotherapy. The authors report 4 patients, who all had metastatic periorbital malignancy. These patients were palliative with widespread metastatic malignancy. All patients had either already had multiple procedures or declined surgical resection and preferred less involved measures. The authors report technique and outcomes. Patient 1: 83-year-old man with recurrent malignant melanoma (MM) nodules (BRAF negative) in the left medial orbit and medial canthal area after rhinectomy and previous resections. Patient 2: 72-year-old man with metastatic MM who developed painful and unsightly metastatic nodules on the right and left forehead and the left medial canthus. Patient 3: 93-year-old man with background of widespread multiple myeloma, considered palliative. He developed a left forehead SCC, apparent as a fungating ulcer, which caused significant pain due to perineural invasion. Patient 4: 91-year-old woman with recurrent metastatic sebaceous cell carcinoma of the left lower eyelid obstructing her vision. All patients experienced an improvement in their pain and quality of life. None of the patients developed any significant periorbital inflammation or adverse complications. Electrochemotherapy may be a useful palliative treatment for periorbital tumors. It improves pain and reduces tumor volume. It can be considered for tumors where palliative radiotherapy may be contraindicated.Electrochemotherapy is a useful palliative treatment for metastases to the periorbital area, improving pain and size of the tumors.

Metastasis to the neck in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has a huge impact on long-term survival and prognosis, and its incidence varies. Due consideration therefore should be given to management of the neck in each individual case. The pathways in patients with primary oral SCC are well-established, but there is a paucity of published papers on management of the neck in those with ipsilateral recurrent or second primary oral SCC whose necks have previously been operated on with or without radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, or treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy alone. These patients may be under treated because of failure to stage the most likely drainage site, and are likely to have a worse outcome if there is macroscopic recurrence in the neck after independent treatment of the recurrent or second primary tumour. Based on the current review, we think there is a need for a multicentre, collaborative, retrospective review of the outcomes of patients with ipsilateral second primaries or recurrent oral SCC in the previously treated neck. Our recommendations include consideration of positron emission tomography-computed tomography in all patients with recurrent or second primary oral SCC (if "hot" - neck dissection, if "cold" - sentinel node biopsy); consideration of sentinel node biopsy in all patients with recurrent or second primary oral SCC who have previously had treatment to the neck; and finally, consideration of definitive management of the sentinel biopsy zone or region if the node is invaded., (Copyright © 2019 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)