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Purpose: To assess the efficacy of two reconstructive methods: pectoralis major myocutaneous flap and revascularised free flap in salvage surgery for recurrent head and neck cancer. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analysed 100 cases of patients who had recurrent head and neck cancer and were treated in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery between 2011 and 2021. The study participants were divided into two groups depending on the method of reconstruction: 62 patients who underwent revascularised free flap reconstruction and 38 patients with pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. Results: In total, flap necrosis was observed in 20 cases, 18 of which were in the group who received revascularised free flaps (29.03%) and 2 in the pectoralis major myocutaneous flap group (5.26%). The OR of flap failure in the free flap group vs. pectoralis major flap group was 7.36 (95% CI 0.85-63.75; p=0.067) In the group who underwent revascularised free flap reconstruction the total surgery time was significantly longer than in the other group (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: We suggest the advantages of using pectoralis major myocutaneous flaps for recurrent head and cancers, which is of the utmost importance for malnourished patients in poor general health and whose primary treatment comprised of a combination therapy.

Contains fulltext : 290876.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Inadequate resection margins in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma surgery necessitate adjuvant therapies such as re-resection and radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and imply increasing morbidity and worse prognosis. On the other hand, taking larger margins by extending the resection also leads to avoidable increased morbidity. Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) are often difficult to access; resections are limited by anatomy and functionality and thus carry an increased risk for close or positive margins. Therefore, there is a need to improve intraoperative assessment of resection margins. Several intraoperative techniques are available, but these often lead to prolonged operative time and are only suitable for a subgroup of patients. In recent years, new diagnostic tools have been the subject of investigation. This study reviews the available literature on intraoperative techniques to improve resection margins for OPSCCs. A literature search was performed in Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane. Narrow band imaging (NBI), high-resolution microendoscopic imaging, confocal laser endomicroscopy, frozen section analysis (FSA), ultrasound (US), computed tomography scan (CT), (auto) fluorescence imaging (FI), and augmented reality (AR) have all been used for OPSCC. NBI, FSA, and US are most commonly used and increase the rate of negative margins. Other techniques will become available in the future, of which fluorescence imaging has high potential for use with OPSCC.

Objective: To evaluate donor site morbidity of the serratus anterior free flap (SAFF) in head and neck reconstruction. Methods: The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire (0 no disability to 100 most severe disability) was applied to 20 patients (M: 16; F: 4) who underwent ablative surgery and reconstruction of the head and neck using a SAFF. Applications, as well as the donor site, recipient site and flap-related complications, were evaluated. Results: SAFF was mainly used for tongue (n = 11; 55.0%) and pharyngeal reconstruction after a laryngopharyngectomy (n = 4; 20.0%). The majority of patients presented with stage IV disease (n = 12; 60%) and had undergone previous radiotherapy (n = 14; 70%). Our free flap survival rate was 88.9% and the pectoralis major muscle flap (PMMF) was used in 5 patients as a salvage option to reconstruct pharyngeal defects. The mean/median DASH score was 21.6/19.9 (healthy norm 10.1), indicating only mild to moderate disability. However, free flap failure and the additional harvest of PMMF multiplies donor site morbidity since it was associated with a 3- and 2.6-times higher DASH score (46.0 vs. 15.5; p = 0.039 and 39.9 vs. 15.47; p = 0.081). Conclusions: The SAFF represents a versatile flap for head and neck reconstruction with low donor site morbidity.

The aim of this study is to assess the influence of semiquantitative PET-derived parameters as well as hematological parameters in overall survival in HNSCC patients using neural network analysis. Retrospective analysis was performed on 106 previously untreated HNSCC patients. Several PET-derived parameters (SUV

Cancer cells, including head and neck cancer cell carcinoma (HNSCC), are characterized by an increased telomerase activity. This enzymatic complex is active in approximately 80-90% of all malignancies, and is regulated by various factors, including methylation status of hTERT gene promoter. hTERT methylation pattern has been thoroughly studied so far. It was proved that hTERT is aberrantly methylated in tumor tissue versus healthy counterparts. However, such effect has not yet been investigated in PBLs (peripheral blood leukocytes) of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the hTERT gene promoter methylation status in blood leukocytes. DNA was extracted from PBL of 92 patients with histologically diagnosed HNSCC and 53 healthy controls. Methylation status of whole hTERT promoter fragment with independent analysis of each 19 CpG sites was performed using bisulfide conversion technique followed by sequencing of PCR products. Not significant (p = 0.0532) differences in the general frequency of hTERT CpG sites methylation were detected between patients and healthy controls. However, it was discovered that some of analyzed positions (CpG islands: 1 [p = 0.0235], 5 [p = 0.0462], 8 [p = 0.0343]) are significantly more often methylated in HNSCC patients than in controls. The opposite finding was observed in case of CpG position 2 (p = 0.0210). Furthermore, closer analysis of single CpG positions revealed differences in methylation status dependent on anatomical site and TNM classification. To conclude, hTERT promoter methylation status (general or single CpG sites) would be considered as a molecular markers of HNSCC diagnostics.

INTRODUCTION Head and neck cancers account for about 6% of all malignant tumors. Head and neck cancers are responsible for about 650,000 new cases and approximately 260,000 deaths in the world annually. About 50% of patients fail to achieve cure or relapse of cancer occurs despite intensive combined treatment. A small number of patients is eligible for re-treatment, and for most of them symptomatic treatment is used. Photodynamic therapy(PDT) may be an alternative these patients. PDT improves the quality of life in patients who are at the stage of the disease recognized as incurable according to present knowledge. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study group consisted of three patients treated in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery in Poznan due to recurrence of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Patients were qualified to the palliative PDT ( Photodynamic therapy)with Foscan. when other possibilities of treatment have been used up. RESULTS Two patients achieved a partial response (PR) by RECIST criteria. One patient achieved disease stabilization (SD). DISCUSSION Photodynamic therapy is a therapeutic option in the palliative treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The careful qualification of the patients for this type of treatment is very important. One should take into account the location of the tumor and its size. Great advantage of photodynamic therapy is that it can be used repeatedly. Treatment with photodynamic therapy should be performed in specialized centers because of the need of adequate technical facilities. PDT may improve the quality of life of selected patients with incurable cancer of the head and neck.

To access 1) the value of further surgical resection (completion surgery) in cases with a positive intraoperative margin analysis, and 2) whether cancers that undergo completion surgery following positive intraoperative margin analysis with subsequent negative margins should be considered true margin-negative (R0) resections in terms of adjuvant treatment planning.Retrospective analysis of patients with primary oral cancer.One hundred and fifty-one patients underwent primary surgical resection of oral squamous cell carcinoma with intraoperative margin examination. In all cases for which frozen section margin analysis was positive, an extended resection was performed. Only patients with clear final margins were included in the study.The intraoperative analysis of surgical margins revealed that cancer-free margins were achieved in 123 cases (81.5%). In 28 specimens (18.5%), the surgical margins were positive. Local recurrence was observed in 28 (18.5%) patients, whereas regional recurrence developed in 30 (19.9%) patients. Factors significantly (P 0.05) increased the risk of local recurrence: advanced stage of the disease (III/IV), node N-positive status, lymphovascular invasion and positive fresh frozen surgical margins. On multivariate analysis, only positive fresh frozen surgical margins remained significant independent adverse factors.Our study demonstrates that positive fresh frozen margins, regardless of re-resection to R0 status, could be a powerful adverse factor that determines an aggressive nature of the tumor. This feature should be taken into consideration in adjuvant treatment planning. The greatest impact this could have is in borderline clinical situations for which the indication for adjuvant treatment may be questionable.4. Laryngoscope, 128:1093-1098, 2018.

Human papillomavirus has been identified as a causative factor for a subset of head and neck carcinomas (HNSCC). The majority of the HPV-positive tumors arises in the oropharyngeal region, and at present, the infection of the human papilloma type 16 is the major cause of the oropharyngeal cancer development. Patients with HPV DNA-positive tumors have been shown to be younger in age and are less likely to have a history of tobacco smoking or alcohol use. The tumors referred to the HPV positivity have been proven to more likely confer better prognosis. Seven percent of the population between ages of 14 and 69 are infected by HPV at any given time within the oral mucosa. However, only about 1 % of those infections is associated with the high-risk cancerogenous types of the virus. Up to date few risk factors of HPV infection have been identified including age, gender and the sexual behavior. Tobacco smoking and immunosuppression have also been reported to play a role in HPV infection.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is an increasingly common disease which leads to organic and functional limitations. Clinical symptoms depend on the location and extent of the papillomatosis. They include hoarseness, cough, and, in some cases, significant narrowing of the respiratory and digestive tracts. The present report describes a fatal case of a young man (28 years old) who developed a very dynamic papilloma infection of the larynx, which spread to the trachea, the oesophagus, the soft tissues of the neck, and the mediastinum. Multimodal treatment did not stop the progression of the disease. The papillomatous lesion was removed with a CO2 laser used in a Kleinsasser microlaryngoscopy and under a microscope using a electrocoagulation loop with argon plasma during the gastroscopy. Antiviral treatment with cidofovir was introduced, as well as in further follow-up radiotherapy. Congenital or acquired immunodeficiency was also excluded. Despite multimodal treatment, successful eradication of the infection was not possible. In our case, aggressive progression of the disease was observed. We were unable to confirm malignant transformation. Papillomatosis was the only disease, and its aggressive development led to the patient's death. In the case of aggressive, uncontrolled progression - when the infiltration spreads beyond the larynx and the hypopharynx - there are no alternative treatment methods that would lead to an effective cure.