Impact of lymph node ratio on survival and recurrence outcomes in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Growing evidence supports the lymph node ratio (LNR) as a prognostic factor for survival in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, there is a lack of data regarding its association with recurrence outcomes. Data on 163 patients with OSCC who underwent primary surgical treatment at a tertiary centre between January 2009 and December 2015 were collected retrospectively and analysed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine optimal cut-off values for the survival analyses. Survival endpoints were disease progression/relapse for disease-free time (DFT), freedom from loco-regional recurrence (FLR), and freedom from distant metastasis (FDM), and as death from any cause for overall survival (OS). Patients with a lower LNR were found to have significantly superior DFT (LNR < 14%, P < 0.001), FLR (LNR <14%, P < 0.001), FDM (LNR <16%, P = 0.004), and OS (LNR <7%, P = 0.004) in comparison to patients with a higher LNR. LNR is a good predictor of survival and recurrence outcomes in OSCC.

Prognostic value of elective neck dissection in adenoid cystic carcinoma of head and neck: a meta-analysis: A call for randomized trials and international consensus.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of head and neck (AdCCHN) is an uncommon salivary gland cancer characterized for infrequent neck metastases, and high rate of local and distant recurrence. The aim of this meta-analysis was to analyse the significance of elective neck dissection (END) in terms of overall survival (OS) in patients with AdCCHN. A systematic literature search and meta-analysis was performed. Endpoint assessed by this meta-analysis included 5-year OS (death from any cause). Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochrane Q test and I2 statistic. A pooled odds ratio (OR) was reported with 95% confidence interval (CI). There were 1934 patients in the END arm and 3083 in the observation group. The pooled OR, calculated for END vs. observation, was 0.94. Patients receiving END had similar risk for death compared to observation cohort (P=0.76). No significant difference in final outcome after patient stratification based on T stage was identified (OR for T1/T2 1.27, P=0.39; OR for T3/T4 0.95, P=0.90). Observation for cN0 neck is a reasonable option in AdCCHN. These findings suggest the need for prospective trials on indications and extent of END in AdCCHN.

Prognostic significance of extranodal extension in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma with occult neck metastases.

A grade of extranodal extension (ENE) may advance risk stratification related to survival in patients with metastatic oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). Pathological examination of 174 OCSCC patients who were primarily surgically treated with tumour resection and elective neck dissection was performed. Data of ENE presence, its extent (in millimetres), patients and tumour characteristics were statistically analysed with respect to disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Ninety patients (51.7%) were identified with occult nodal disease, with 41 patients (23.6%) presenting with ENE. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis set the threshold at 1.9 mm as an optimal ENE cut-off regarding both DFS and OS. Patients were divided by extent into minor ENE (≤1.9 mm) and major ENE (>1.9 mm) subgroups. The subgroup with minor ENE had significantly higher DFS and OS rates compared with major ENE. ENE cut-off threshold at 1.9 mm discriminates low and high-risk subgroups of patients with occult OCSCC in terms of DFS and OS.

Management of accessory parotid gland tumours: 32-year experience from a single institution and review of the literature.

Accessory parotid gland tumours (APGTs) are very rare. Regarding their anatomical location, an adequate surgical approach is necessary to provide safe resection and satisfactory postoperative results. The aims of this study were to present our tertiary centre experience in surgical treatment and management of APGTs and to review the literature regarding their treatment, particularly in terms of surgical modalities. Data of 13 patients with primarily surgically treated APGTs have been collected and analysed. Well-documented English-literature articles of surgically treated APGTs have been extracted from the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases ending in May 2018, and analysed. Mean age at diagnosis was 41.1 years. The most common benign histological subtype was pleomorphic adenoma (53.8%), while mucoepidermoid carcinoma (23.1%) was most common in malignant counterparts. The malignancy rate was 38.5%. Postoperative results were satisfactory, and the follow-up period was uneventful in all patients except one who died of locoregional recurrence. A total of 57 papers with reported series in APGTs have been identified with a total of 306 APGT cases. From oncological, functional and aesthetic standpoints, approaches through a standard parotidectomy provide satisfactory results.

Microcystic adnexal carcinoma-diagnostic criteria and therapeutic methods: case report and review of the literature.

Microcystic adnexal carcinoma (MAC) is a rare, infiltrating, locally aggressive cutaneous neoplasm of combined follicular and eccrine/apocrine histogenesis, usually presenting on the upper lip or face. Differentiation from other adnexal tumours is very important because the clinical management of these tumours is radically different, and misdiagnosis may lead to incorrect treatment. A case of recurrent MAC in the upper lip, treated with multiple excisions and postoperative radiation therapy (PORT), is presented herein. There have been no signs or symptoms of recurrence since the subsequent reconstructive surgery and PORT. Based on reports in the literature it appears that although immunohistochemistry can be helpful in distinguishing between MAC and other adnexal tumours, careful histopathological examination is essential for an accurate diagnosis. Perineural and intramuscular invasion strongly suggest the diagnosis of MAC. Its predilection for the facial area often limits the width of surgical excision. In such cases, PORT may be considered.

Prognostic factors in head and neck mucoepidermoid carcinoma: experience at a single institution based on 64 consecutive patients over a 28-year period.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignancy of the salivary glands. The clinical behaviour of MEC is largely unpredictable, ranging from indolent tumour growth to highly aggressive metastatic spread. The objective of this study was to determine the clinicopathological predictors of recurrence and survival in patients with head and neck MEC. The medical records of 64 patients who underwent surgical treatment for head and neck MEC between 1982 and 2010 were reviewed. The main outcome measures were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Clinicopathological parameters evaluated were age, sex, anatomical subsite, histological grade, tumour stage, tumour size, adjuvant therapy, and nodal and margin status. For the entire cohort, the 5-year DFS was 82.8% and the 5-year OS was 67.2%. Histological grade and tumour subsite were statistically significant predictors of OS. Furthermore, tumour stage and nodal status were statistically significant predictors with respect to OS. Advanced tumour stage, high histological grade, submandibular/sublingual localization, and positive nodal status were independent predictors of the prognosis in patients with head and neck MEC. Further studies into the molecular biology of MEC are needed in order to provide new therapeutic strategies for patients with locally aggressive and highly metastatic carcinomas.

Prognostic significance of extracapsular spread of lymph node metastasis from oral squamous cell carcinoma in the clinically negative neck.

The presence of extracapsular spread (ECS) in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) indicates a poor prognosis and is associated with a higher risk of regional recurrence and distant metastasis. The aim of this study was to analyse this important feature of cervical lymph nodes in the clinically node-negative setting. The study included 61 patients with clinically T1-T3N0 OSCC who underwent primary surgical treatment; 52 were male and nine were female, and their median age was 57 years. The 5-year disease-free survival, disease-specific survival, and overall survival rates were 30.6%, 28.3%, and 14.3%, respectively, in the ECS group compared to 61.9%, 61.9%, and 48.2%, respectively, in the pN+/ECS-negative group and 76.7%, 81.9%, and 47.0%, respectively, in the pN0 group. The differences between the survival curves were highly significant (P=0.023, P=0.003, and P=0.029, respectively). The incidence of local (50% vs. 14.9%, P=0.011) and regional (28.6% vs. 2.1%, P=0.008) recurrence was significantly greater in the ECS group compared to the other subgroups of patients. Furthermore, the time to recurrence was significantly shorter in the ECS subjects. The presence of ECS in patients with oral cancer indicates a poor prognosis. ECS is a frequent feature in clinically node-negative settings and may be more common in smaller lymph nodes than is generally appreciated.

Significance of myofibroblast appearance in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity on the occurrence of occult regional metastases, distant metastases, and survival.

The aim of the present study was to assess the frequency of appearance of stromal myofibroblasts in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to further clarify whether myofibroblasts influence tumour suppression or progression. Surgical resection specimens from 152 patients with cT1-T3N0 OSCC were analysed. The frequency of myofibroblasts within the tumour stroma was assessed immunohistochemically and compared with other clinical and histopathological factors. The immunohistochemical reaction for alpha-smooth muscle actin showed positive cells in the stroma of 84.2% of OSCC (n=128). An increased presence of myofibroblasts in the tumour stroma was significantly correlated with T stage (P=0.019), the presence of occult neck metastasis (P<0.001), regional recurrence (P=0.037), and distant metastasis (P=0.008). There was also an association between the presence of myofibroblasts and patient survival (P=0.009). The presence of myofibroblasts was not associated with local recurrence, tumour cell differentiation, mode of invasion, or bone invasion. The results of this study suggest that myofibroblast proliferation facilitates tumour invasion, the occurrence of occult neck disease, and distant metastasis. The survival rate was poorer in patients with abundant myofibroblasts. Further investigations on tumour-associated stroma at the invasive front are needed in order to establish new diagnostic markers and therapeutic strategies.

Accessory parotid gland tumours: 24 years of clinical experience.

The accessory parotid gland (APG) is salivary tissue anterior to and anatomically separate from the parotid gland. APG is a common anatomical variation, but APG tumours are extremely rare. The authors report 6 patients with APG tumours emphasizing the diagnosis, clinical features, indications and rationales for different treatment approaches. Patients with primary tumours of the parotid gland or APG tumours who underwent surgical treatment were included. APG tumours comprised 1.23% of overall parotid tumours (6/488) and had a malignancy rate of 33.3% (2/6). There were three male and three female patients with a mean age of 39 years (range 14-70 years). 5 of 6 parotidectomies entailed superficial lobectomy, while one was a total parotidectomy with composite resection of masseter muscle. Concomitant selective lymphadenectomy was carried out in 3 of 6 patients. At 5 years disease-free survival was 83.3%. Mean follow-up was 161 months (range 14-253 months). Although nonsalivary diagnoses frequently occur in the buccal area, APG tumours should be considered in every differential diagnosis in patients presenting with a mid-cheek mass. From oncosurgical, cosmetic and functional standpoints, treatment by facelift parotidectomy or 'S-incision' with concomitant superficial lobectomy is the recommended surgical approach; high-grade malignancies require total parotidectomy with regional lymphadenectomy.

Lymphatic drainage patterns of head and neck cutaneous melanoma: does primary melanoma site correlate with anatomic distribution of pathologically involved lymph nodes?

The aim of this study was to analyse patterns of metastatic spread from cutaneous head and neck melanoma, which are said to be highly variable. The medical records of 145 patients with pathologically proven metastatic melanoma were reviewed retrospectively. The location of pathologically positive lymph nodes was compared with clinically predicted spread, and patients with metastatic disease in areas outside of predicted drainage patterns were considered aberrant. There were 33 curative and 73 elective neck dissections. 21 of 77 patients undergoing parotidectomy had positive results for metastases. Clinical prediction proved to be correct in 33 of 45 cases (73.3%). Two patients with lateralized melanomas were initially seen with contralateral metastases. Six of 45 patients (13.3%) developed contralateral metastases after neck dissection. Patients with clinical involvement of the parotid gland were at high risk of occult neck disease (40%). Patients undergoing neck dissection for primaries originating in face, forehead, coronal scalp, periauricular area, and upper neck should be considered for parotidectomy. Patients with posterior scalp and posterior neck primaries should be considered for selective neck dissection in conjunction with posterior lymphadenectomy. In patients with coronal scalp and periauricular primaries, a complete neck dissection including parotidectomy is the recommended approach.