Aerosol Production with Surgical Instrumentation: Implications for Head and Neck Surgery in the COVID-19 Era.

Evaluating the aerosolization of droplets from surgical instruments to assess the implications of surgery in SARS-CoV-2 transmission for both patients and providers. Cadaver study. Outpatient surgery center. Aerosolized particles between 0.3 and 25 microns were measured. Instruments tested included monopolar cautery with and without suction, bipolar cautery, a bipolar vessel sealing device, and tissue scissors. Each trial was compared to a background reading. Monopolar cautery without suction, Ligasure used continuously and Bipolar cautery produced the most aerosols. Monopolar cautery with simultaneous suction produced no detectable aerosols. Ligasure used for a single cycle produced notably fewer aerosols than during continuous use. Most aerosols produced were < 5 microns. These data support n95 use during surgical management of the upper aerodigestive tract, as well as the use of suction in the surgical field.

Population-based survival of pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck over four decades.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical trials have reported increases in the survival of pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) from 25% in 1970 to 73% in 2001. The purpose of this study was to examine whether survival of pediatric patients with RMS of the head and neck improved at the US population level. METHODS: A population-based cohort of patients with rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck aged 0-19 years in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry from 1973 to 2013 was queried. The cumulative incidence competing risks (CICR) method was used to estimate risk and survival trends. RESULTS: 718 cases were identified for analysis. Survival rates at 1-, 5-, and 10-years after diagnosis were 91.2%, 73.2%, and 69.4% respectively. Survival rates at 1 year after diagnosis increased from 82.6% to 93.1% during the study period. In the subdistributional hazard analysis, there was a significantly improved disease-specific risk of death in the first year after diagnosis. Overall risk of death did not improve significantly. Favorable prognostic factors included age <10 years at diagnosis, smaller tumor size, absence of distant metastasis, localized tumors, earlier stage at presentation, grossly complete surgical resection, and embryonal or botryoid histology. CONCLUSIONS: Disease-specific survival in the first year following diagnosis improved, but the change in overall survival at the population level was not statistically significant. These findings should be interpreted in light of the inclusion of patients with distant metastasis at diagnosis, who have poor prognoses, together with the limited statistical power afforded in studies of rare diseases.

Malignant perivascular epithelioid cell tumor of the oropharynx with strong TFE3 expression mimicking alveolar soft part sarcoma: a case report and review of the literature.

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) in the head and neck region are rare, with 26 cases described in literature. These distinct mesenchymal tumors normally express both myoid and melanocytic markers. We here report an interesting and challenging case of malignant PEComa that showed transcription factor E3 (TFE3) protein expression and rearrangement, paucity of muscle and melanocytic marker expression, and morphologically mimicked alveolar soft part sarcoma. Awareness of this morphologic pitfall and recognition of TFE3 gene-rearranged PEComa, as a distinct subtype of PEComa, is essential to avoid misdiagnosis.

Increased risk of second primary malignancy in pediatric and young adult patients treated with radioactive iodine for differentiated thyroid cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The long-term sequelae of radioactive iodine (RAI) for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in pediatric and young adult patients are not well-defined. Epidemiologic analyses of second primary malignancy (SPM) risk have only been performed in the adult population. Existing data are limited to case series with limited follow-up. The objective of this study was to analyze the elevated risk of SPM attributable to RAI in young patients treated for DTC. METHODS: Population-based analysis of 3850 pediatric and young adult patients (<25 years old) undergoing treatment with surgery with/without RAI for DTC, followed in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry (1973-2008), equating to 54,727 person-years at risk (PYR). The excess risk of SPM was calculated relative to a reference population and expressed as standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and excess absolute risk (EAR) per 10,000 PYR. Excess risk was compared in RAI-treated and non-RAI-treated patients. RESULTS: A total of 1571 patients (40%) received RAI. The percentage of patients treated with RAI increased over time, from 4% in 1973 to 62% in 2008 (p<0.001). Among patients who received RAI, 26 SPMs were observed, and 18.3 were expected. The relative risk of SPM at any site was significantly elevated (SIR=1.42), corresponding to 4.4 excess cases per 10,000 PYR. SPM risk was not elevated in the non-RAI-treated cohort (SIR=1.01, EAR=0). Patients treated with RAI were at dramatically elevated risk for development of a salivary malignancy (SIR=34.1), corresponding to 1.7 excess cases per 10,000 PYR. The risk of leukemia in RAI-treated patients was elevated (SIR=4.0, EAR=0.9) but did not reach statistical significance. There was no elevated risk of salivary cancer or leukemia in the non-RAI-treated cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric and young adult patients who receive RAI for DTC experience an elevated risk of SPM, mainly salivary gland cancer. These risks appear to be only slightly higher than in adult patients. Over a decade, approximately 1 in 227 RAI-treated patients will develop an SPM, and 1 in 588 RAI-treated patients will develop a salivary cancer, attributable to RAI. Because the expected survival time for young DTC patients is long, it is critical to weigh the benefits of RAI carefully against the small, but real, increase in SPM risk.

Malignancy rate in thyroid nodules classified as Bethesda category III (AUS/FLUS).

BACKGROUND: The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology is the standard for interpreting fine needle aspiration (FNA) specimens. The "atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance" (AUS/FLUS) category, known as Bethesda Category III, has been ascribed a malignancy risk of 5-15%, but the probability of malignancy in AUS/FLUS specimens remains unclear. Our objective was to determine the risk of malignancy in thyroid FNAs categorized as AUS/FLUS at a comprehensive cancer center. METHODS: The management of 541 AUS/FLUS thyroid nodule patients treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 2008 and 2011 was analyzed. Clinical and radiologic features were examined as predictors for surgery. Target AUS/FLUS nodules were correlated with surgical pathology. RESULTS: Of patients with an FNA initially categorized as AUS/FLUS, 64.7% (350/541) underwent immediate surgery, 17.7% (96/541) had repeat FNA, and 17.6% (95/541) were observed. Repeat FNA cytology was unsatisfactory in 5.2% (5/96), benign in 42.7% (41/96), AUS/FLUS in 38.5% (37/96), suspicious for follicular neoplasm in 5.2% (5/96), suspicious for malignancy in 4.2% (4/96), and malignant in 4.2% (4/96). Of nodules with two consecutive AUS/FLUS diagnoses that were resected, 26.3% (5/19) were malignant. Among all index AUS/FLUS nodules (triaged to surgery, repeat FNA, or observation), malignancy was confirmed on surgical pathology in 26.6% [CI 22.4-31.3]. Among AUS/FLUS nodules triaged to surgery, the malignancy rate was 37.8% [CI 33.1-42.8]. Incidental cancers were found in 22.3% of patients. On univariate logistic regression analysis, factors associated with triage to surgery were younger patient age (p<0.0001), increasing nodule size (p<0.0001), and nodule hypervascularity (p=0.032). CONCLUSIONS: In patients presenting to a comprehensive cancer center, malignancy rates in nodules with AUS/FLUS cytology are higher than previously estimated, with 26.6-37.8% of AUS/FLUS nodules harboring cancer. These data imply that Bethesda Category III nodules in some practice settings may have a higher risk of malignancy than traditionally believed, and that guidelines recommending repeat FNA or observation merit reconsideration.

Synchronous cancers in patients with head and neck cancer: risks in the era of human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Second primary malignancies (SPMs) are the leading cause of death in survivors of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Synchronous SPMs are of significant clinical interest because they potentially can be identified by screening procedures at the time of diagnosis of the index cancer. Recently, human papillomavirus (HPV) has emerged as a distinct risk factor for oropharyngeal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), differing from classic tobacco/alcohol-associated HNSCC, suggesting that there also may be distinct patterns of synchronous SPMs. METHODS: The authors performed a population-based cohort study in 64,673 patients in the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry (1979-2008), defining risks of synchronous SPM in patients with HNSCC who were diagnosed before and after the emergence of prevalent HPV-associated oropharyngeal HNSCC. Excess risk was calculated using standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and excess absolute risk per 100 patients. RESULTS: Among patients with HNSCC, the SIR of synchronous SPM was 5.0, corresponding to 2.62 excess cases per 100 patients. The site with the highest excess risk of a second cancer was the head and neck (SIR, 41.4), followed by the esophagus (SIR, 21.8), and lung (SIR, 7.4). The risk of synchronous SPM changed markedly over time for patients with oropharyngeal HNSCC. In the 1970s and 1980s, oropharyngeal cancers carried the highest risk of SPM. Risk began to dramatically decline in the 1990s; and currently, oropharyngeal cancers carry the lowest risk of synchronous SPM. CONCLUSIONS: The current data are consistent with the etiologic shift of oropharyngeal HNSCC, from a primarily tobacco-associated malignancy associated with significant field cancerization of the upper aerodigestive mucosa, to a malignancy primarily caused by oncogenic human papillomavirus.

Sinonasal malignancies in children: a 10-year, single-institutional review.

OBJECTIVES: Sinonasal malignancies in children are rare, histologically diverse tumors that present diagnostic and management challenges. The purpose of this study is to review the experience of a single cancer center in the management of pediatric sinonasal malignancies. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. METHODS: Retrospective chart review. RESULTS: Forty-four patients were identified. The median age was 12 years (range: 2-17), 54% were female, and the maxillary sinus was the most common primary site. Facial swelling and pain were the most common presenting complaints. Thirty-four patients (76%) in this series had paranasal sinus sarcomas, three patients had esthesioneuroblastomas, and eight patients had carcinomas. The 5-year overall survival, disease-specific survival, and recurrence rate for the entire group was 71%, 81%, and 43%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric sinonasal malignancies are rare, locally aggressive tumors associated with nonspecific signs and symptoms. Multimodality treatment can result in 5-year overall and disease-specific survival rates of over 70%. A multidisciplinary team approach is essential to optimize outcomes and limit the morbidity of treatment.