Interim Phase II Results Using Panitumumab-IRDye800CW during Transoral Robotic Surgery in Patients with Oropharyngeal Cancer.

PURPOSE: The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has continually increased during the past several decades. Using transoral robotic surgery (TORS) significantly improves functional outcomes relative to open surgery for OPSCC. However, TORS limits tactile feedback, which is often the most important element of cancer surgery. Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) strategies to aid surgeon assessment of malignancy for resection are in various phases of clinical research but exhibit the greatest potential impact for improving patient care when the surgeon receives limited tactile feedback, such as during TORS. Here, we assessed the feasibility of intraoperative fluorescence imaging using panitumumab-IRDye800CW (PAN800) during TORS in patients with OPSCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twelve consecutive patients with OPSCC were enrolled as part of a nonrandomized, prospective, phase II FGS clinical trial using PAN800. TORS was performed with an integrated robot camera for surgeon assessment of fluorescence. Intraoperative and ex vivo fluorescence signals in tumors and normal tissue were quantified and correlated with histopathology. RESULTS: Intraoperative robot fluorescence views delineated OPSCC from normal tissue throughout the TORS procedure (10.7 mean tumor-to-background ratio), including in tumors with low expression of the molecular target. Tumor-specific fluorescence was consistent with surgeon-defined tumor borders requiring resection. Intraoperative robot fluorescence imaging revealed an OPSCC fragment initially overlooked during TORS based on brightfield views, further substantiating the clinical benefit of this FGS approach. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this patient with OPSCC cohort support further clinical assessment of FGS during TORS to aid resection of solid tumors.

Transcriptional subtypes of glottic cancer characterized by differential activation of canonical oncogenic programming.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data concerning molecular heterogeneity among glottic squamous cell carcinoma, and the clinical implications thereof. METHODS: Data corresponding to glottic squamous cell carcinoma were derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The Onco-GPS computational methodology was levied to derive four patterns of transcriptional activity and three functional subtypes of glottic cancer. RESULTS: Thirty glottic cancer samples stratified to three distinct oncogenic states (S0-S2) based on a Onco-GPS model containing four transcriptional components (F0-F3). Membership in S2 and association with transcriptional component F0 conveyed an invasive phenotype, with transcriptional activity strongly reflecting EMT programming (including TGF-B and NF-KB signaling). S2 membership also correlated with inferior disease-specific survival (HR 9.027, 95% CI 1.021-79.767), and higher incidences of extracapsular spread and perineural invasion. CONCLUSIONS: We present a functional taxonomy of glottic cancer, with subtypes demonstrating differential upregulation of canonical oncogenic networks and survival implications.

Transoral robotic resection of large intramural, cervical esophageal lipoma-Report of a case and description of technique.

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has evolved into a common surgical modality used to treat primarily oropharyngeal malignant and benign pathologies. The single port Intuitive Surgical da Vinci surgical robotics system facilitates access to the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus. We aim to describe our approach and advantages of the technique.

Bacteria-induced nasal necrosis with negative cultures.

A 79-year-old man with liver failure, hypertension and hyperlipidemia presented with a 1.5-month history of progressive nasal crusting and pain on the inside of the nose, advancing into a necrotic columella and philtrum. On rigid endoscopy, debris extended to middle and inferior turbinate to midway posteriorly. Initial culture swabs and CT were negative. The patient underwent endoscopic biopsy of the lesion, with histopathological findings revealing abundant acute inflammation and minute fragments of atypical squamous epithelium, favouring reactive atypia. Non-invasive fungal hyphae were identified. Bacterial cultures revealed Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium accolens, Curvularia species and Pseudomonas putida A current literature search failed to find other published cases of P. putida nasal infections. P. putida is generally difficult to isolate on swab culture as the surrounding tissue is necrosed; this case highlights the importance of reconsidering bacterial infection and obtaining a tissue biopsy in the case of non-healing necrotic-appearing tissue with negative culture swab and CT without evidence of mass.

Tracheotomy in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 pandemic continues to produce a large number of patients with chronic respiratory failure and ventilator dependence. As such, surgeons will be called upon to perform tracheotomy for a subset of these chronically intubated patients. As seen during the SARS and the SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks, aerosol-generating procedures (AGP) have been associated with higher rates of infection of medical personnel and potential acceleration of viral dissemination throughout the medical center. Therefore, a thoughtful approach to tracheotomy (and other AGPs) is imperative and maintaining traditional management norms may be unsuitable or even potentially harmful. We sought to review the existing evidence informing best practices and then develop straightforward guidelines for tracheotomy during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This communication is the product of those efforts and is based on national and international experience with the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the SARS epidemic of 2002/2003.