Follicular adenoma with a papillary architecture originating from an ectopic thyroid gland: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Follicular adenomas with papillary architecture are rare tumors of thyroid origin and are composed of completely encapsulated follicular cells with a papillary architecture lacking the nuclear characteristics of papillary carcinoma. Herein, we present a case of follicular adenoma with papillary architecture originating from an ectopic thyroid gland, diagnosed from a mass in the submandibular region. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with the chief complaint of a painless left submandibular mass that had been present for one year. The patient underwent left submandibular dissection for therapy and diagnosis. Microscopically, papillary lesions with fibrovascular cores were observed in the interior, and the epithelial cells were cylindrical in shape with eosinophilic cytoplasm, round or oval nuclei, with no pathological features, leading to a diagnosis of papillary carcinoma or follicular carcinoma. The mass was diagnosed as a follicular thyroid adenoma with papillary architecture. This is the first report of a follicular adenoma with a papillary architecture originating from an ectopic thyroid gland. CONCLUSION: This experience suggests that follicular adenoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of ectopic thyroid tumors.

Frequency of use and cost in Japan of first-line palliative chemotherapies for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade, novel anticancer drugs have improved the prognosis for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (RM-SCCHN). However, this has increased healthcare expenditures and placed a heavy burden on patients and society. This study investigated the frequency of use and costs of select palliative chemotherapy regimens in Japan. METHODS: From July 2021 to June 2022 in 54 healthcare facilities, we gathered data of patients diagnosed with RM-SCCHN and who had started first-line palliative chemotherapy with one of eight commonly used regimens. Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas were excluded. The number of patients receiving each regimen and the costs of each regimen for the first month and per year were tallied. RESULTS: The sample comprised 907 patients (674 were < 75 years old, 233 were ≥ 75 years old). 330 (36.4%) received Pembrolizumab monotherapy, and 202 (22.3%) received Nivolumab monotherapy. Over 90% of patients were treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. Treatment regimens' first-month costs were 612 851-849 241 Japanese yen (JPY). The cost of standard palliative chemotherapy until 2012 was about 20 000 JPY per month. The incremental cost over the past decade is approximately 600 000-800 000 JPY per month, a 30- to 40-fold increase in the cost of palliative chemotherapy for RM-SCCHN. CONCLUSION: First-line palliative chemotherapy for RM-SCCHN exceeds 600 000 JPY monthly. Over the last decade, the prognosis for RM-SCCHN has improved, but the costs of palliative chemotherapy have surged, placing a heavy burden on patients and society.

3-Fr steerable microcatheter system via the upper limb artery in RADPLAT for right maxillary cancer.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of a catheter system using a 3-Fr sheath with a steerable microcatheter through right upper limb artery access for superselective intra-arterial cisplatin infusion and concomitant radiotherapy (RADPLAT) to treat right maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma (MS-SCC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 46 sessions in eight patients treated between November 2020 and February 2023 using the catheter system briefly described below. A 3-Fr sheath was inserted into the distal radial, conventional radial, or brachial arteries. A coaxial catheter system with a 2.9-Fr steerable microcatheter and a 1.9-Fr microcatheter was advanced into the brachiocephalic artery. The right common carotid artery was selected by bending the tip of the steerable microcatheter. Coil embolization and intra-arterial cisplatin infusion after selecting each external carotid artery branch were achieved using this catheter system. RESULTS: Cisplatin infusion and coil embolization were successful in all sessions. Arterial occlusion at the sheath insertion sites was found in 29.4% (5/17) of the distal radial arteries and 33.3% (3/9) of the conventional radial arteries. No other major complications were observed during the procedure. CONCLUSION: Using a 3-Fr catheter system with a steerable microcatheter through right upper limb artery access is a feasible method for RADPLAT in treating right MS-SCC.

Biomarker discovery for practice of precision medicine in hypopharyngeal cancer: a theranostic study on response prediction of the key therapeutic agents.

BACKGROUND: Hypopharyngeal cancer is a relatively rare malignancy with poor prognosis. Current chemotherapeutic algorithm is still far from personalized medicine, and the identification of the truly active therapeutic biomarkers and/or targets is eagerly awaited. METHODS: Venturing to focus on the conventional key chemotherapeutic drugs, we identified the most correlative genes (and/or proteins) with cellular sensitivity to docetaxel (TXT), cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in the expression levels, through 3 steps approach: genome-wide screening, confirmation study on the quantified expression levels, and knock-down and transfection analyses of the candidates. The probable action pathways of selected genes were examined by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis using a large-scale database, The Cancer Genome Atlas. RESULTS: The first genome-wide screening study derived 16 highly correlative genes with cellular drug sensitivity in 15 cell lines (|R| > 0.8, P < 0.01 for CDDP and 5-FU; |R| > 0.5, P < 0.05 for TXT). Among 10 genes the observed correlations were confirmed in the quantified gene expression levels, and finally knock-down and transfection analyses provided 4 molecules as the most potent predictive markers-AGR2 (anterior gradient 2 homolog gene), and PDE4D (phosphodiesterase 4D, cAMP-specific gene) for TXT; NINJ2 (nerve Injury-induced protein 2); CDC25B (cell division cycle 25 homolog B gene) for 5-FU- in both gene and protein expression levels. Overexpression of AGR2, PDE4D signified worse response to TXT, and the repressed expression sensitized TXT activity. Contrary to the findings, in the other 2 molecules, NINJ2 and CDC25, there observed opposite relationship to cellular drug response to the relevant drugs. IPA raised the potential that each selected molecule functionally interacts with main action pathway (and/or targets) of the relevant drug such as tubulin ß chain genes for TXT, DNA replication pathway for CDDP, and DNA synthesis pathway and thymidylate synthetase gene for 5-FU. CONCLUSION: We newly propose 4 molecules -AGR2, PDE4D,NINJ2 and CDC25B) as the powerful exploratory markers for prediction of cellular response to 3 key chemotherapeutic drugs in hypopharyngeal cancers and also suggest their potentials to be the therapeutic targets, which could contribute to the development of precision medicine of the essential chemotherapy in hypopharyngeal patients. (339 words).

Prognostic role of the combination of platelet count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis; but has no established biomarkers on the order of human papilloma virus and p16 in oropharyngeal carcinoma. This study investigated pre-treatment serum markers, including the combination of platelet count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (COP-NLR) as a prognosis predictor in patients with HPSCC treated in our hospital. We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records of 118 consecutive patients treated with curative intent at our hospital between 2007 and 2013. Of these 118 patients, we enrolled 100 patients for whom we had sufficient data to analyze relationships between clinico-laboratory characteristics and survival, including the prognostic significance of pre-treatment serum markers and previous reported clinical factors. Multivariate analysis of clinico-laboratory characteristics associated COP-NLR with cancer-specific survival, as were lymph node metastases. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank tests showed that the COP-NLR could stratify those patients into three independent groups (P = 0.003). COP-NLR might be a useful predictor of survival in patients with HPSCC.

Malignant melanoma of the nasal cavity treated with stereotactic radiotherapy using CyberKnife: report of 2 cases.

Radiotherapy with high doses per fraction may have the potential to control radioresistant tumors, such as malignant melanoma. Here we report 2 cases with malignant melanoma of the nasal cavity treated with hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy using CyberKnife®.

[Solitary Fibrous Tumors of the Nasal and Paranasal Sinuses].

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFT) are uncommon neoplasm that arises in most cases from the pleura. SFT has been rarely observed in the head and neck, but SFT of the paranasal sinuses is especially rare, with 39 previously reported cases to date including those reported in this abstract. Herein we describe three cases of SFT in the paranasal sinuses that were successfully treated endoscopically. Two of the three cases involved patients with no previous history of SFT. The lesion of one of the patients was pathologically diagnosed as SFT preoperatively, but the other was diagnosed as an angiogenic tumor without any biopsies. The tumors were completely resected after arterial embolization by a transnasal endoscopic procedure. The third case involved a 43-year old man, who had undergone medial maxillectomy through a lateral rhinotomy incision to resect SFT four years and seven months before. The tumor relapsed intracranially and, therefore, a craniotomy procedure followed by endoscopic skull base surgery was performed. Radiation therapy was performed postoperatively because the recurrent tumor was pathologically identified as malignant SFT, which had been classified benign at the time of the first resection. All three patients are presently alive with no evidence of disease.

Use of quantitative diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to predict human papilloma virus status in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Although identification of human papilloma virus (HPV) status in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is essential in predicting treatment response, no imaging modality can currently determine whether a tumor is HPV-related. In this retrospective study, 26 patients with OPSCC confined to the lateral wall or the base of tongue underwent neck magnetic resonance imaging, using T1-, T2- and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) in a region of interest covering the largest available primary tumor area of OPSCC on a single slice of the ADC map were calculated using two b values (0 and 1,000 s/mm(2)). Mean and minimum ADCs were compared with HPV status, using p16 immunohistochemistry as a surrogate marker for HPV infection. Mean and minimum ADCs for HPV(+) OPSCC were significantly lower than those for HPV(-) OPSCC. A cut-off value of mean ADC for HPV(+) OPSCC of 1.027 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s yielded sensitivity and specificity of 83.33 and 78.57%, respectively. In conclusion, the present study indicates that ADC could be used to predict HPV status in patients with OPSCC.

Potential of Nutritional Markers as Predictors After Immunotherapy in Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the standard treatment for advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is clinically assessed before initiating ICIs; however, there are no established biomarkers for predicting the response to immunotherapy. In this study, inflammatory and nutritional parameters were examined to determine the therapeutic outcomes of ICIs for HNSCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-five patients with metastatic or recurrent HNSCC who received programmed death-1 (PD-1) blockade were enrolled. Inflammatory and nutritional indices were correlated with patient outcomes, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI). RESULTS: Patients aged <70 years were significantly associated with a high NLR, whereas those with a performance status of 2 or 3 were closely related to a high NLR, high SII, and low PNI. Although all patients achieved an objective response rate of 24.6% and a disease control rate of 36.9%, the NLR, PLR, SII, and PNI values were not significantly different between responders and non-responders. Univariate analysis showed that the NLR, PLR, SII, and PNI were significant predictors of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis identified PNI as an independent predictor of PFS and OS. CONCLUSION: PNI, as a nutritional marker, was identified as a significant predictor of outcomes following PD-1 blockade administration in patients with advanced HNSCC, compared to inflammatory markers, such as NLR, PLR, and SII.

Extent of thyroidectomy and paratracheal lymph node dissection in total pharyngolaryngectomy for pyriform sinus cancer, and recurrence, survival, and postoperative hypoparathyroidism: A multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Total pharyngolaryngectomy (TPL) is standard treatment for hypopharyngeal cancer. However, extensive thyroidectomy and paratracheal nodal dissection (PTND) can cause hypoparathyroidism. We sought to determine the optimum extent of resection. METHODS: We analyzed the clinicopathological information of 161 pyriform sinus cancer patients undergoing TPL from 25 Japanese institutions. Rates of recurrence and risk factors for hypoparathyroidism, as well as incidence of pathological contralateral level VI nodal metastasis and stomal recurrence, were investigated. RESULTS: The extent of thyroidectomy and nodal dissection were not independent risk factors for recurrence. Incidences of contralateral level VI nodal involvement and stomal recurrence were 1.8% and 1.2%, respectively. Patients undergoing hemithyroidectomy/ipsilateral PTND did not develop stomal recurrence and had the lowest incidence of hypoparathyroidism. Prognosis in patients without tracheostomy prior to hemithyroidectomy/ipsilateral PTND was comparable to that with more extensive resections. CONCLUSIONS: Hemithyroidectomy/ipsilateral PTND may be sufficient for pyriform sinus cancer cases without tracheostomy.

Incidence and risk factors associated with the development of hypothyroidism after postoperative chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer patients with high-risk features: Supplementary analysis of JCOG1008.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hypothyroidism is a recognized late adverse event following radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (HNC). In the JCOG1008 trial, we treated patients with high-risk HNC with postoperative chemoradiotherapy. We aimed to elucidate factors associated with hypothyroidism by analyzing the JCOG1008 data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2012-2018, 261 patients from 28 institutions were enrolled in JCOG1008. Thyroid function tests were conducted to assess hypothyroidism, including free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone assays. Hypothyroidism was defined as Grade 2 or higher in CTCAE v4.0. Various clinical and dosimetric parameters were analyzed. In radiotherapy, there were no dose constraints for the thyroid. Multivariable analysis was conducted on these variables to identify predictive factors for hypothyroidism. RESULTS: The analysis included 162 patients (57 with 3D-CRT and 105 with IMRT), with a median follow-up of 4.7 years (0.3-9.3 years). Among these, 27 (16.7 %) developed hypothyroidism within 2 years after radiotherapy. In a multivariable analysis, the weekly cisplatin [OR=7.700 (CI: 1.632-36.343, p = 0.010)] and baseline FT4 [OR=0.009 (CI: <0.001-0.313, p = 0.010)] were significantly associated with hypothyroidism in the IMRT group. Regarding dosimetric characteristics, V60Gy [OR=1.069 (CI: 0.999-1.143, p = 0.054)] was potentially associated with the development of hypothyroidism. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that the incidence of hypothyroidism within 2 years after postoperative chemoradiotherapy for high-risk HNC was 16.7 % based on analytical results from prospective clinical trials.

Validation of nomogram-based prediction of survival probability after salvage re-irradiation of head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment outcomes after salvage re-irradiation in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer vary widely due to heterogeneous patient characteristics, and it is difficult to evaluate optimal re-irradiation schedules. This study aimed to validate a nomogram, originally developed by Tanvetyanon et al., used to predict the survival probability of patients with recurrent head and neck cancer after re-irradiation. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with recurrent head and neck cancer who underwent salvage re-irradiation between June 2007 and November 2011 were evaluated. The median total dose used for initial radiotherapy was 60 Gy (range, 22-72). Re-irradiation sites included the nasopharynx or Rouviere's node (n = 14), external ear (n = 4), neck lymph node (n = 3) and other sites (n = 7). Overall survival after re-irradiation was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the 2-year survival probability was estimated using Tanvetyanon's nomogram. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy using a median total dose of 30 Gy (range, 15-40) in 1-7 fractions and six patients were treated with conventional external beam radiotherapy using 45 Gy (range, 23.4-60) in 10-30 fractions. The 2-year overall survival was 21.7% (95% confidence interval: 9.3-41.3), and the 2-year survival probability was 16.8% (95% confidence interval: 9.9-23.6). The 2-year overall survival in 20 patients with unfavorable prognosis (median 2-year survival probability, 5.5%) and in 8 patients with favorable prognosis (median 2-year survival probability, 45%) were 11.0 and 45.7%, respectively (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that Tanvetyanon's nomogram accurately estimates the survival probability in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer after re-irradiation.

[Case of pyogenic spondylitis and epidural abscess after chemoradiotherapy for hypopharyngeal cancer].

Osteomyelitis is one of the most severe late complications of radiation therapy. The condition can arise from osteoradionecrosis and can be fatal if it occurrs in vertebrae. A 71-year-old woman, who had undergone chemoradiotherapy for hypopharyngeal cancer 6 months previously, presented with severe neck pain. An MRI examination revealed pyogenic spondylitis and an epidural abscess of the neck. Neurological disturbance in the extremities developed despite the administration of antibiotics for 5 days. Drainage and a laminectomy were performed to control the infection and to relieve spinal cord compression. The patient had no postoperative complications at 15 months after surgery. Previous case reports of osteomyelitis and epidural abscess following radiation therapy for head and neck cancer with surgical treatment tended to have a good clinical course. Severe neck pain and a limitation in the range of motion of the neck are considered to be serious clinical features of osteomyelitis. Since infection in the necrotic mucosa leads to pyogenic spondylitis, a repeated cultivation survey of the mucosa is nessesary for adequate antibiotics therapy. For osteomyelitis and epidural abscess following radiation therapy, immediate specific surgical treatment of the involved region is strongly suggested if antibiotics are not effective or spinal cord compression develops.

Prediction Formula for Pathological Depth of Invasion From Clinical Depth of Invasion in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) Stage I/II Cases.

BACKGROUND:  The depth of invasion (DOI) of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an important prognostic factor. The definition is clear for pathological DOI (pDOI), but the treatment strategy is determined by the preoperative clinical DOI (cDOI). Few studies have investigated the difference between these DOIs. The purpose of this study was to obtain the correlation equation between cDOI and pDOI for Stage I/II tongue SCC and to consider the points to be noted in actual clinical practice. METHODS:  In this retrospective study, 58 patients with clinical stage I/II tongue SCC were included. Correlations between cDOI and pDOI were obtained for all 58 cases, as well as for 39 cases which excluded superficial and exophytic lesions. RESULTS:  The overall cDOI and pDOI median values were 8.0 and 5.5 mm, respectively; the 2.5 mm reduction was significant (p < 0.01). The correlation equation was pDOI = 0.81 × cDOI-0.23 (r = 0.73). Furthermore, re-analysis of the 39 cases revealed that pDOI = 0.84 × cDOI-0.37 (r = 0.62). Hence, a derived equation pDOI = 0.84 × (cDOI-0.44) was obtained to predict pDOI from cDOI. CONCLUSIONS:  This study indicated that it is necessary to consider contraction due to specimen fixation by subtracting the thickness of the mucosal epithelium. Clinical T1 cases with a cDOI of 5 mm or less had a pDOI of 4 mm or less, and it would be expected to have low positive rate of neck lymph node metastasis.

Identification of novel oncogenes in oral cancer among elderly nonsmokers.

OBJECTIVES: In recent years, an increase in oral cancer among elderly nonsmokers has been noted. The aim of this study was to identify novel oncogenes in oral cancer in older nonsmokers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) data from 324 oral cancer patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertions/deletions (INDELs) were extracted from the WES data of older patients. Fisher's exact test was performed to determine the specificity of variants in these genes. Finally, SNVs and INDELs were identified by target enrichment sequencing. RESULTS: Gene ontology analysis of 112 genes with significant SNVs or INDELs in nonsmokers revealed that nonsynonymous SNVs in HECTD4 were significantly more frequent in nonsmokers than in smokers by target enrichment sequencing (p = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Further investigation of the function of HECTD4 variants as oncogenes in older nonsmokers is warranted.

Posttreatment CT and MR imaging in head and neck cancer: what the radiologist needs to know.

In patients with head and neck cancer, posttreatment imaging can be complicated and difficult to interpret because of the complexity of the surgical procedures performed and the postirradiation changes, but such imaging is critical for the evaluation of (a) the response to therapy and (b) tumor control. Posttreatment changes are affected by the type of surgery performed, reconstruction, neck dissection, and radiation therapy. Three types of flaps are used for reconstruction in the head and neck region: (a) the local flap, with geometric repositioning of adjacent tissue; (b) the pedicle flap, with rotation of donor tissue and preservation of the original vascular system; and (c) the free flap, with transfer of tissue that is revascularized by using microvascular surgical techniques. The posttreatment imaging findings in patients with head and neck cancer can be divided into four groups: altered anatomy secondary to surgical reconstruction, tumor recurrence, potential postsurgical complications, and possible postirradiation changes. Potential postsurgical complications are wound infection, abscess, fistula, flap necrosis, hematoma, chylous fistula, and serous retention. Possible postirradiation changes include mucosal necrosis, osteoradionecrosis, radiation-induced vasculopathy, radiation pneumonitis, radiation lung fibrosis, radiation-induced brain necrosis, and radiation-induced secondary malignancies. A familiarity with the imaging characteristics of posttreatment changes and of the potential complications caused by surgery and irradiation and an ability to differentiate these findings from tumor recurrence are essential for posttreatment surveillance and follow-up management of patients with head and neck cancer.

Quantitative diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging as a powerful adjunct to fine needle aspiration cytology for assessment of thyroid nodules.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the value of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thyroid nodules, particularly those found to have indeterminate cytology with fine needle aspiration (FNA). METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with 42 thyroid nodules underwent neck magnetic resonance imaging consisting of T1-, T2-, and diffusion-weighted imaging. The final diagnosis of all nodules was confirmed by surgery, revealing 23 with benign and 19 with malignant lesions. Preoperative FNA cytology was performed in 38 of 42 nodules, including 15 of indeterminate cytology. The mean ADC values in benign and malignant groups were compared. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between mean ADC values in benign and malignant nodules and between mean ADC in benign and malignant nodules of indeterminate cytology. A cutoff value for malignant nodules of 1.60 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s yielded sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 94.73%, 82.60%, and 88.09%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that ADC measurements could potentially quantitatively differentiate between benign and malignant thyroid nodules, even those of indeterminate cytology. We propose that diffusion-weighted imaging evaluation should be used for the assessment of thyroid nodules in addition to FNA cytology.

A retrospective analysis of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with nivolumab.

Nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor is the first-line therapy for platinum-resistant recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer, and highly effective for some patients. However, no factors have been identified that could predict response or prognosis after nivolumab administration. We retrospectively investigated the association between tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) of initial pathology and prognosis in patients treated with nivolumab. Twenty-eight patients with human papilloma virus and Epstein-Barr virus unrelated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled. CD8+cells, FoxP3+cells and FoxP3-CD4+cells in the tumoral and peritumoral stromal area and PD-L1 were measured. In result, FoxP3-CD4+TIL, FoxP3+TIL, and CD8+TIL were not correlated with survival in either intratumoral and stromal area. In univariate analysis, objective response was significant prognostic factor both in progression-free survival and overall survival (p = 0.01, 0.006, respectively). PD-L1 was also significant prognostic factor both in progression-free survival and overall survival (p = 0.01, 0.01, respectively). ECOG Performance status was a significant prognostic factor in overall survival (p = 0.0009). In the combined analysis of stromal CD8+TIL and PD-L1, PD-L1 positive with high stromal CD8+TIL subgroups had a better prognosis than PD-L1 negative with low stromal CD8+TIL subgroups in progression-free survival (p = 0.006). Although these results require a further investigation, PD-L1 and ECOG Performance status and the combination of stromal CD8+TIL and PD-L1 positivity have potential as useful prognostic markers in patients of virus unrelated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab.

Manometric assessment of pharyngeal swallowing pressure after mandibular reconstruction.

Oral cancer patients who undergo mandibular bone partial resection often exhibit swallowing disturbance after surgery. We examined the usefulness of manometry in obtaining quantitative data on swallowing function in patients after mandibular bone partial resection. Postsurgical swallowing function was investigated, using a combination of videofluorography (VF) and manometry, in five patients with oral cancer, who underwent mandibular bone partial resection. Three patients underwent reconstruction of soft tissue defects only, while the remaining two patients underwent reconstruction of both soft tissue defects and a bony segment using a reconstruction plate or vascularized fibula with a skin paddle. Oropharyngeal swallowing pressure ranged from 61 to 82 mmHg compared to the normal range of 109 ± 31 mmHg (mean ± SD). Partial resection of the mandible without reconstruction of the bony segment defect had a negative effect upon oropharyngeal swallowing pressure. Four of the five patients exhibited normal function in the oral stage. Elevation of the larynx was disturbed in 80% of the patients. None of the patients in this study experienced aspiration after surgery. In conclusion, a combination of VF and manometry revealed that mandibular bone partial resection resulted in disturbed elevation of the larynx while pharyngeal swallowing pressure decreases in those patients who do not undergo bony segment reconstruction. Our results suggested that the tongue, including the base of the tongue, should be set in a closed space so that pharyngeal swallowing pressure does not release.