Quality-of-life-adjusted survival analysis of concurrent chemo radiotherapy for locally advanced (nonmetastatic) nasopharyngeal cancer.

PURPOSE: To assess whether the benefits of adding cisplatin (CDDP) concurrent with radiotherapy, followed by adjuvant CDDP and fluorouracil, justifies the toxicity cost for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) using the quality-adjusted time without symptoms or toxicity (Q-TWiST) approach. METHODS AND MATERIALS: One hundred seven patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) and 111 with concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy (CRT) were analyzed. The overall survival was divided into three health states: time on active treatment only, during which any subjective nonhematologic toxic event of grade > = 3 was reported; time without symptoms of disease relapse; or treatment and time following first disease RELapse. The relative advantage of CRT and RT was examined by conducting the analysis cumulatively at restriction times 3, 6, 24, 36, 48 months. RESULTS: At 48 months, the improvement in disease-free survival was 14.4% for CRT, whereas that for overall survival was 18.9%. The differences in Q-TWiST were -0.4, -0.7, 0.1, 1.6, and 3.6 months at 3, 6, 24, 36, and 48 months, respectively, with positive differences favoring CRT. At 24 months, the difference in Q-TWiST began to favor CRT. At 36 months, CRT may be the preferred option from the patient's viewpoint if the time spent in the REL state is valued to be <0.83, with the value of perfect health being 1. Finally, Q-TWiST accumulated within 48 months indicated a significant advantage in quality-adjusted survival time for CRT (p = 0.020). CONCLUSION: Irrespective of how patients valued periods of toxicity and delayed disease progression, concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy offered NPC patients significantly more quality-adjusted survival than radiotherapy alone in the long term.

Is laparoscopic colectomy as cost beneficial as open colectomy?

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic colectomy has yet to gain widespread acceptance in cost-conscious health-care institutions. The aim of the present study was to define the cost-benefit relationship of laparoscopic versus open colectomy. METHODS: Thirty-two consecutive patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colectomy (LC) by a single colorectal surgeon between August 2004 and September 2005 were reviewed. Cases were matched with a historical cohort undergoing elective open colectomy (OC) between June 2003 and July 2004. Demography, perioperative data, histopathology and cost were compared. RESULTS: Both groups had similar demographics. Most resections (90.6%) were for cancer. Operative time was significantly longer for LC compared to OC (180 min vs 110 min, P < 0.001). Four patients (12.5%) in the LC group required conversion. LC patients, however, had lower median pain scores (3, 2 and 1 vs 6, 4 and 2 at 24, 48 and 72 h postoperatively, P < 0.001), faster resolution of ileus (3 vs 4 days, P < 0.001) and earlier discharge (6 vs 9 days, P < 0.001) compared to the OC group. As a result, overall hospital cost for both procedures was not significantly different (US$7943 vs US$7253, P = 0.41). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic colectomy is as cost-beneficial in the short term as open colectomy.

Evaluation of the linearity of soft- to hard-tissue movement after orthognathic surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Our aim in this study was to investigate whether a linear relationship exists between soft- to hard-tissue changes for both maxillary and mandibular landmarks over a wide range of skeletal changes. METHODS: The sample consisted of 30 Chinese patients with Class III malocclusion treated with bilateral sagittal split osteotomy and LeFort I advancement. Lateral cephalograms were taken within 2 months before surgery and at least 6 months after surgery. Soft- and hard-tissue changes were recorded by computer-supported measurements of presurgical and postsurgical lateral cephalograms. To evaluate the linear association between soft- and hard-tissue movement, a quadratic function of hard-tissue movement adjusted for sex was initially fitted to the data. The residual plots were used to examine the appropriateness of the fitted quadratic function, and the lack of fit was examined by the F test. A linear function was fitted to the data when the quadratic term was not significant. RESULTS: Visual inspection of the scatter plots of the 5 pairs of corresponding soft- and hard-tissue landmarks showed that relationships between the soft and hard tissues were reasonably linear for both male and female subjects, except for the Sn-ANS pair that showed a curvilinear relationship. Statistical tests confirmed that the association for the Sn-ANS pair was quadratic. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide evidence of a linear relationship between soft- to hard-tissue changes for mandibular landmarks over a wide range of skeletal changes. The nonlinear response of maxillary soft tissues to underlying hard-tissue change in the Sn-ANS pair supports the use of nonlinear ratios for selected maxillary soft- to hard-tissue movements in simulation software.

Subjective evaluation of the accuracy of video imaging prediction following orthognathic surgery in Chinese patients.

PURPOSE: The aims of this retrospective study were to assess the subjective accuracy of predictions generated by a computer imaging software in Chinese patients who had undergone orthognathic surgery and to determine the influence of initial dysgnathia and complexity of the surgical procedure on prediction accuracy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 40 Chinese patients who had completed treatment involving orthodontics and orthognathic surgery. All the patients had lateral cephalometric radiographs and profile photographs taken within 3 months before surgery and at least 6 months after surgery. The computer-generated predicted images and the actual post-treatment images were displayed simultaneously to a panel of orthodontists, oral maxillofacial surgeons and laypersons to allow side-by-side comparison. The panel was asked to determine which image was more esthetic and to rate the likeness between the actual and predicted images using a 10 cm visual analog scale. RESULTS: The results showed that the actual image was judged to be more esthetic in 82% of the cases, with the orthodontists more likely to select the actual profile compared to laypersons (P = .005). Orthodontists and surgeons rated the likeness of the images similarly while laypersons rated the likeness significantly lower than the clinicians (P = .012 and P = .015, respectively). Skeletal III cases were judged to be less accurately predicted than skeletal II cases by laypersons (P = .006) and orthodontists (P = .036). Cases treated by single-jaw osteotomy were given better ratings compared to cases with bimaxillary osteotomy by all panel groups but the differences did not reach significant level. CONCLUSIONS: Skeletal III cases managed by bimaxillary osteotomy were least accurately predicted by the computer program. As there exists a possibility that the predicted image may be judged to be more esthetic than the actual image, clinicians must make extra effort to manage patient expectations when using computer simulations for patient education.

Can external and subjective information ever be used to reduce the size of randomised controlled trials?

In the design of randomised trials in rare cancers, a Bayesian approach has been advocated, which allows for external and subjective information to be formally incorporated. We explore whether this can be extended more generally to allow for smaller trials to be conducted using a case study involving a trial of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The external information available at various points during the trial is first summarised in the form of 'prior distributions'. Each of these is then combined with the accumulated data from the trial at that point in time to form 'posterior distributions', from which conclusions are drawn. We have argued that such a framework for the design, analysis and interpretation of a randomised trial in the light of external evidence is particularly useful in situations such as trials in rare cancers. But more generally, it may potentially also allow for smaller trials to be conducted. Although, at this point in time, we are hesitant to recommend the full implementation of the Bayesian methodology to modify the (conventionally) planned trial size we submit that a formal synthesis of the external evidence bearing on the question of concern is a valuable exercise in itself.

Outcome of orthognathic surgery in Chinese patients. A subjective and objective evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of orthognathic surgery by objective cephalometric measurement of posttreatment soft-tissue profile and by subjective evaluation of profile esthetics by laypersons and clinicians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 30 Chinese patients who had completed combined orthodontic and orthognathic surgical treatment. The posttreatment cephalograms of these patients were analyzed with respect to profile convexity, facial height, and lip contours and these were compared to the previously established esthetic norms. Line drawings of the soft-tissue profile were displayed to a panel comprising six laypersons and six clinicians who scored the esthetics of each profile using a 7-point scale. RESULTS: Complete normalization of cephalometric soft-tissue variables was not achieved with orthognathic surgery in most patients, with four of the six soft-tissue cephalometric measurements showing significant differences compared to the esthetic norms. There were good correlations in the esthetic scores between laypersons and clinicians, even though clinicians tend to rate the profiles more favorably. Facial convexity and facial height did not significantly influence the subjective scores of both the laypersons and clinicians. Lower lip protrusion was the only cephalometric variable that significantly influenced clinicians' assessment of profile esthetics (P<.01). CONCLUSIONS: Profile convexity and lower facial height proportion had little influence on both lay and professional perception of profile esthetics. Lower lip position is the only cephalometric variable that significantly influenced clinicians' assessment of profile esthetics.

Randomized trial of radiotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer/International Union against cancer stage III and IV nasopharyngeal cancer of the endemic variety.

PURPOSE: The Intergroup 00-99 Trial for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) showed a benefit of adding chemotherapy to radiotherapy. However, there were controversies regarding the applicability of the results to patients in endemic regions. This study aims to confirm the findings of the 00-99 Trial and its applicability to patients with endemic NPC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between September 1997 and May 2003, 221 patients were randomly assigned to receive radiotherapy (RT) alone (n = 110) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT; n = 111). Patients in both arms received 70 Gy in 7 weeks using standard RT portals and techniques. Patients on CRT received concurrent cisplatin (25 mg/m2 on days 1 to 4) on weeks 1, 4, and 7 of RT and adjuvant cisplatin (20 mg/m2 on days 1 to 4) and fluorouracil (1,000 mg/m2 on days 1 to 4) every 4 weeks (weeks 11, 15, and 19) for three cycles after completion of RT. All patients were analyzed by intent-to-treat analysis. The median follow-up time was 3.2 years. RESULTS: Distant metastasis occurred in 38 patients on RT alone and 18 patients on CRT. The difference in 2-year cumulative incidence was 17% (95% CI, 14% to 20%; P = .0029). The hazard ratio (HR) for disease-free survival was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.38 to 0.87; P = .0093). The 2- and 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 78% and 85% and 65% and 80% for RT alone and CRT, respectively. The HR for OS was 0.51 (95% CI, 0.31 to 0.81; P = .0061). CONCLUSION: This report confirms the findings of the Intergroup 00-99 Trial and demonstrates its applicability to endemic NPC. This study also confirms that chemotherapy improves the distant metastasis control rate in NPC.

Professional assessment of facial profile attractiveness.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the assessments of Chinese facial profile attractiveness by orthodontists and oral surgeons. METHODS: The sample comprised 31 dental professionals (20 orthodontists, 11 oral surgeons) in an Asian community. Facial profile photographs and lateral cephalometric radiographs of 2 Chinese adults (1 man, 1 woman) with normal profiles, Class I incisor relationships, and Class I skeletal patterns were digitized. The digital images were modified by altering cephalometric skeletal and dental hard tissue Chinese normative values in increments of 2 standard deviations in the anteroposterior plane to obtain 7 facial profiles for each sex. The images were bimaxillary protrusion, protrusive mandible, retrusive mandible, normal profile (Class I incisor with Class I skeletal pattern), retrusive maxilla, protrusive maxilla, and bimaxillary retrusion. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine professional differences in assessment. Multiple regression analysis was performed with age, professional status, sex, and number of years in practice as independent variables. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A strong correlation was found in the profile assessment between orthodontists and oral surgeons. Normal and bimaxillary retrusive Chinese male and female profiles were judged to be highly attractive by orthodontists and oral surgeons. Chinese male and female profiles with protrusive mandibles were judged the least attractive. There was a difference in professional opinion about the most attractive male profile (P < .05), with orthodontists preferring a flatter profile and oral surgeons preferring a fuller normal Chinese profile. Sex of dental professionals and number of years in clinical practice were found to affect profile rankings.

Impact of reversibility of no reflow phenomenon on 30-day mortality following percutaneous revascularization for acute myocardial infarction-insights from a 1,328 patient registry.

BACKGROUND: Occurrence of no reflow phenomenon during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with increased mortality. Although intracoronary medications can improve coronary flow, the effect on mortality is not known. METHODS: Patients who had PCI for myocardial infarction (MI) at the Singapore National University Hospital from January 2000 to March 2004 were studied. Our analysis stratified patients into three groups according to the occurrence and persistence of no reflow during PCI. (1) Adequate reflow: without no reflow occurrence; (2) Reversible no reflow: no reflow occurred, but final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) 3 flow restored after intracoronary medications; and (3) Refractory no reflow: no reflow occurred and persisted, final TIMI flow < 3 despite medications. Thirty-day mortality was determined for each group. RESULTS: A total of 1,328 patients (82% male), 703 (53%) underwent primary PCI and 625 (47%) rescue PCI were analyzed. Among the study patients, no reflow (including reversible and refractory) occurred in 135 patients (10.2%). Intracoronary verapamil, adenosine, nitroprusside, or a combination of drugs were used to treat the no reflow in 70.0%, 17.7%, 3.5%, and 8.8% of cases, respectively. Intracoronary medications successfully restored final TIMI 3 in 108 patients (80%, reversible no reflow). The remaining 27 patients (20%) have final TIMI < 3 (refractory no reflow). In comparison with the adequate reflow and reversible no reflow groups, those with refractory no reflow had an increased 30-day mortality (3.7% vs 2.8% vs 32.0%, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analyses showed that patients with refractory no reflow had a significantly higher 30-day mortality compared to patients with adequate reflow (P < 0.001) and reversible no reflow (P = 0.001), but no significant differences in the 30-day mortality between patients with adequate reflow and reversible no reflow (P = 0.157) were detected after adjusting for relevant covariates. CONCLUSION: Among patients undergoing PCI for MI, reversible no reflow was associated with a significantly lower 30-day mortality compared with the refractory counterpart.

Impact of dysphagia on quality-of-life in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about dysphagia or quality of life (QOL) in patients treated for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The aim of this study was to determine the impact of dysphagia on QOL in patients treated for NPC as measured by two standard tools, the University of Washington Quality-of-Life Questionnaire(1) (UW-QOL) and the Swallow Quality-of-Life Questionnaire(3) (SWAL-QOL). METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey of 59 consecutive disease-free survivors of NPC attending the head and neck cancer clinic at the National University Hospital, Singapore. The UW-QOL and SWAL-QOL underwent minor modification and were translated into Mandarin. A linear regression analysis was performed to identify significant predictors of health-related QOL. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients (86%) responded; of these, 43 had self-reported swallowing difficulties. On the UW-QOL, respondents indicated the three most important issues to be swallowing (59%), hearing (45%), and saliva/dry mouth (41%). Respondents with swallowing difficulty reported a lower UW-QOL composite score (p = .002) and a lower health-related QOL score (HR-QOL) than those without swallowing difficulty (p = .004). Self-reported swallowing difficulty predicted a lower HR-QOL score (p = .004). A longer time since treatment predicted a better score in HR-QOL (p = .024). A lower score in fatigue predicted a lower HR-QOL score (p = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Swallowing difficulties negatively impact QOL. It is recommended that future QOL studies aimed specifically at swallowing function in NPC use a swallowing specific questionnaire (eg, SWAL-QOL) in addition to a head and neck-specific measure. Further research is needed to look at the adaptation and usefulness of swallowing-specific QOL surveys for use with people treated for NPC.