Health-Related Quality of Life as a Prognostic Factor in Patients After Resection of Hepatic Malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have argued health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures to be prognostic of survival in patients with chronic disease processes including cancer; however, only a few small studies have evaluated HRQoL changes in the setting of oncologic resections. The objectives of the present study were to investigate factors predicting HRQoL, the change in HRQoL over time, and HRQoL prognostic value in patients undergoing surgical resection of hepatic malignancies. METHODS: We administered the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue, and Brief Pain Inventory to 128 patients with primary and metastatic hepatic malignancies enrolled between January 2008 to November 2011 and November 2013 to June 2015. Quality of life was obtained at the baseline, 4, 8, and 12 mo, using HRQoL questionnaires. RESULTS: The mean age of all patients included was 61 y, 42.6% had hepatocellular carcinoma, and 50.7% had metastatic colorectal carcinoma. HRQoL decreased from baseline at the 4-mo follow-up but stabilized to preoperative values at 8 and 12 mo. Depressive symptoms (P < 0.001), pain (P = 0.032), and fatigue (P < 0.001) were associated with HRQoL before surgery. Variables associated with HRQoL at 8 mo included extrahepatic recurrence (P = 0.002), depressive symptoms (P < 0.001), pain (P < 0.001), fatigue (P < 0.001), tumor macrovascular (P = 0.011), and microvascular invasion (P = 0.003). Using Cox regression and adjusting for demographics and disease-specific factors, preoperative HRQoL was significantly associated with overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: HRQoL is independently associated with survival in patients with liver malignancies undergoing surgical resection. Major curative liver surgery can be performed with short-term worsening of HRQoL but long-term improvement and stabilization in overall quality of life for patients with cancer.

Evaluating the Rising Incidence of Thyroid Cancer and Thyroid Nodule Detection Modes: A Multinational, Multi-institutional Analysis.

Importance: There is epidemiologic evidence that the increasing incidence of thyroid cancer is associated with subclinical disease detection. Evidence for a true increase in thyroid cancer incidence has also been identified. However, a true increase in disease would likely be heralded by an increased incidence of thyroid-referable symptoms in patients presenting with disease. Objectives: To evaluate whether modes of detection (MODs) used to identify thyroid nodules for surgical removal have changed compared with historic data and to determine if MODs vary by geographic location. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a retrospective analysis of pathology and medical records of 1328 patients who underwent thyroid-directed surgery in 16 centers in 4 countries: 4 centers in Canada, 1 in Denmark, 1 in South Africa, and 12 in the US. The participants were the first 100 patients (or the largest number available) at each center who had thyroid surgery in 2019. The MOD of the thyroid finding that required surgery was classified using an updated version of a previously validated tool as endocrine condition, symptomatic thyroid, surveillance, or without thyroid-referable symptoms (asymptomatic). If asymptomatic, the MOD was further classified as clinician screening examination, patient-requested screening, radiologic serendipity, or diagnostic cascade. Main Outcomes and Measures: The MOD of thyroid nodules that were surgically removed, by geographic variation; and the proportion and size of thyroid cancers discovered in patients without thyroid-referable symptoms compared with symptomatic detection. Data analyses were performed from April 2021 to February 2022. Results: Of the 1328 patients (mean [SD] age, 52 [15] years; 993 [75%] women; race/ethnicity data were not collected) who underwent thyroid surgery that met inclusion criteria, 34% (448) of the surgeries were for patients with thyroid-related symptoms, 41% (542) for thyroid findings discovered without thyroid-referable symptoms, 14% (184) for endocrine conditions, and 12% (154) for nodules with original MOD unknown (under surveillance). Cancer was detected in 613 (46%) patients; of these, 30% (183 patients) were symptomatic and 51% (310 patients) had no thyroid-referable symptoms. The mean (SD) size of the cancers identified in the symptomatic group was 3.2 (2.1) cm (median [range] cm, 2.6 [0.2-10.5]; 95% CI, 2.91-3.52) and in the asymptomatic group, 2.1 (1.4) cm (median [range] cm, 1.7 [0.05-8.8]; 95% CI, 1.92-2.23). The MOD patterns were significantly different among all participating countries. Conclusions and Relevance: This retrospective analysis found that most thyroid cancers were discovered in patients who had no thyroid-referable symptoms; on average, these cancers were smaller than symptomatic thyroid cancers. Still, some asymptomatic cancers were large, consistent with historic data. The substantial difference in MOD patterns among the 4 countries suggests extensive variations in practice.

The impact of positive margin on survival in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Positive margins are known to impact survival in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). We aimed to determine the impact of positive margins on survival and whether radiation improves survival following positive margins. METHODS: Data was obtained from the National Cancer Database and included patients with cT1T2N0 OCSCC. Survival outcomes were assessed via log-rank test. Cox-regression analysis was performed to determine if positive margins or radiation, when applicable, correlated with survival after accounting for covariates. RESULTS: Positive margin patients had worse overall survival compared to negative margin control (HR = 1.76, p < 0.001) and reduced survival by 13%. On multivariate analysis, positive margins correlated with survival (HR = 1.60, p < 0.001). Radiation did not improve survival in positive margin patients (HR = 0.99, p = 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with positive margins have an 11-15% worse overall survival. Radiation does not appear to impact survival in patients with a positive margin.

Aggressive fibromatosis of the parotid gland.

Extra-abdominal fibromatosis (EAF) is a rare, locally aggressive tumor that originates in fascial structures. It accounts for less than 0.3% of all tumors diagnosed. Head and neck tumors account for only 7% of those, and only a few cases occurring in the parotid gland have been previously reported. We describe the case of a 34-year-old woman who presented with a painful parotid mass. She was found to have an EAF of her right parotid gland. Medical management with antibiotics and immunosuppression therapy was unsuccessful. Surgical resection was required for both a definitive diagnosis and management. Preoperative findings on computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and both fine-needle aspiration biopsy and surgical biopsy were nonspecific, as is typical in EAF cases.