Progressive Cranial Neuropathy.

A 68-year-old man had right facial weakness with a droop, slurred speech, and eyelid ptosis that progressed over 5 years from right temple numbness and did not respond to gabapentin or steroids. What is your diagnosis?

Immunotherapy response in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck with cranial nerve involvement.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) can be treated with immunotherapy (IO). Cranial nerve involvement (CNI) is uncommon in cSCC and is a poor prognostic factor. Our aim is to describe how patients with CNI respond to IO monotherapy and/or as an adjunct to RT. METHODS: Under an IRB approved protocol, patients with histologically proven cSCC of the head and neck with CNI treated with IO were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Twelve patients were included and received cemiplimab or pembrolizumab. Eight patients had CNI at diagnosis, and 4 at time of recurrence after non-IO therapy. Best responses were complete response (1), partial response (7), stable disease (1), progressive disease (2), and pending response (1). Nine patients are alive, 6 of which remain on IO. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort, IO showed clinical response in 83% of patients, indicating IO can be an effective monotherapy, reserving RT for instances of local failure after IO.

Risk Factors Associated With Recurrence and Death in Patients With Tall Cell Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A Single-Institution Cohort Study With Predictive Nomogram.

Importance: Tall cell morphology (TCM) is a rare and aggressive variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) that has been associated with poor outcomes; however, the risk factors for worse survival are not well characterized. Objective: To identify prognostic factors associated with cancer recurrence and death in patients with PTC-TCM. Design, Setting, and Participants: All patients treated for PTC-TCM at a single tertiary-level academic health care institution from January 1, 1997, through July 31, 2018, were included. Tall cell variant (TCV) was defined as PTC with TCM of 30% or more; and tall cell features (TCF) was defined as PTC with TCM of less than 30%. Patients with other coexisting histologic findings and/or nonsurgical management were excluded. Clinicopathologic features associated with worse outcomes were identified using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional-hazards model. Data were analyzed from March 1, 2018, to August 15, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: Locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS), distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS), and overall survival (OS) after surgery. Results: A total of 365 patients (median [range] age, 51.8 [15.9-91.6] years; 242 [66.3%] female) with PTC-TCM (TCV, 32%; TCF, 68%) were evaluable. Total thyroidectomy was performed in 336 (92%) patients; 19 (5.2%) received radiotherapy; and 15 (4.1%) received radioactive iodine. Clinical features were pT3 or T4, 65%; node-positive, 53%; and positive surgical margins, 24%. LRRFS at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year was 95%, 87%, 82%, and 73%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, male sex and age were not independent predictors of inferior 5-year LRRFS, whereas positive surgical margins (HR, 3.5; 95% CI, 2.0-6.3), positive lymph nodes (HR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.4-5.8), and primary tumor size of 3 cm or more (HR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4-7.8) were strongly associated with worse LRRFS. Age 55 years or older (HR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.5-7.0), male sex (HR 4.5; 95% CI, 2.1-10.0), positive surgical margins (HR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-6.0), nodal positivity (HR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.3-7.7), tumor diameter of 1.5 cm or more (HR, 20.6; 95% CI, 2.8-152.1), and TCV vs TCF (HR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.5-6.7) were associated with worse DRFS. Male sex (HR, 3.1; 95% 1.4-6.8) and tumor diameter of 1.5 cm or more (HR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.0-7.4) were associated with worse OS. A findings-based nomogram was constructed to predict 10-year LRRFS (C index, 0.8). Conclusions and Relevance: This retrospective cohort study found that in patients with PTC-TCM, positive surgical margins, node positive disease, and tumor size of 3 cm or more were risk factors for worse LRRFS. Intensified locoregional therapy, including adjuvant radiation, may be considered for treating these patients.

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Prostate Cancer in Men With a High Baseline International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS ≥ 15).

Background: Patients with a high pretreatment IPSS may have higher rates of late urinary morbidity after radiation therapy for prostate cancer (1). Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) delivers fewer high-dose fractions of radiation, which may be radiobiologically favorable to the conventional low-dose external beam fractions. The urinary toxicity associated with SBRT, however, remains unclear in patients with a high IPSS (1). We report our experience using SBRT for localized prostate cancer in patients with pretreatment IPSS ≥ 15. Methods: Localized prostate cancer patients with a pre-treatment IPSS ≥ 15 treated with SBRT at Georgetown University Hospital from 2009 to 2016 were included in this retrospective review of prospectively collected data. These patients were treated to 35-36.25 Gy in five fractions delivered via CyberKnife (Accuray Inc., Sunnyvale, CA). Urinary toxicity was assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 (CTCAE v4). Urinary quality of life was assessed using validated questionnaires (IPSS and EPIC-26). Results: 53 patients at a median age of 71 years (range 57-89 years) received SBRT with a minimum follow up of 3 years. The median prostate size was 37 cm3 (range 12-100 cm3) and 30.2% patients received ADT. The 3-years incidence rate of Grade 3 urinary toxicity was 7.5% with median time to toxicity of 2.9 years. There were no Grade 4 or 5 toxicities. A mean baseline IPSS score of 19.8 significantly decreased to 12.9 at 3 months post-SBRT (p = 0.002) and remained stable at 36 months (13.7). A mean baseline EPIC-26 obstructive/irritative score of 64.1 significantly improved to 80.2 at 3 months (p = 0.002). This improvement was maintained to 36 months. There was no significant change from the mean baseline EPIC-26 urinary incontinence score at any point during follow up. Conclusions: SBRT for clinically localized prostate cancer was well-tolerated in men with baseline IPSS ≥ 15 (1). Grade 3 toxicities occurred but resolved with time. Our data suggest that poor baseline urinary function does not worsen following SBRT and may even improve. High baseline IPSS score should not be considered a contraindication to SBRT.

Proton Therapy in the Treatment of Anal Cancer in Pelvic Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Case Series.

PURPOSE: The incidence of anal cancer in patients with kidney transplants has increased. The definitive treatment for anal cancer is chemotherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy. In kidney transplant recipients, sparing the pelvic kidney in the process of delivering radiation to the anus can be challenging. Intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) has been proposed as an alternative to intensity-modulated radiation therapy for the treatment of anal cancer in this population, given its increased ability to spare organs-at-risk. CASE SERIES: We present 4 cases of patients with transplanted pelvic kidneys who subsequently developed anal cancer and were treated with IMPT from 2017 to 2019. CONCLUSION: Use of IMPT appears to be an acceptable option for the treatment of anal cancer in patients with a pelvic kidney.