Small Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Head and Neck: Comparing Incidence and Survival Trends Based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Data.

BACKGROUND: Small cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SmCCHNs) are rare neoplasms with an unfavorable prognosis. Population-based data describing survival and prognostic factors for SmCCHN are limited. METHODS: Data were obtained from the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for 1973-2013. Patient and tumor-related characteristics for SmCCHN were compared with those for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Survival was compared by constructing Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models with and without propensity score matching. RESULTS: The data set included 609 SmCCHN and 227,943 SCCHN cases. Both histological subtypes were more common in men than women and more common in white patients. SmCCHN was most likely to originate in the larynx, glottis and hypopharynx, or salivary glands and to present with more advanced stage and grade. SCCHN was most likely to originate in the oral cavity and was found infrequently in the salivary glands. Overall 5- and 10-year survival estimates were 27% and 18% for SmCCHN and 46% and 31% for SCCHN, respectively. In multivariable survival analyses adjusting for age, sex, race, marital status, year of diagnosis, stage, grade, and receipt of radiation, the hazard ratio (HR) comparing SmCCHN with SCCHN was 1.53 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) from 1.39 to 1.68. Average 5-year survival varied widely between the histologic types when comparing tumor sites: 14.5% for SmCCHN versus 48.9% for SCCHN in the oropharynx. In propensity score matched analyses, the corresponding HR was 1.27 (95% CI, 1.15-1.40). CONCLUSION: Compared with SCCHN, SmCCHN carries a worse survival and is more likely to present with more advanced stage. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Small cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SmCCHN) is a rare subtype of head and neck cancer. In this Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data analysis, the characteristics and survival of SmCCHN are compared with those of the common squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Results show that SmCCHN carries a worse prognosis and tends to present at a more advanced stage; SmCCHN also is ten times more likely to originate from the salivary glands. These findings may have implications for clinical practice, as location of the tumor may strongly associate with the pathologic diagnosis. If a SmCCHN is diagnosed, a disseminated disease is likely; hence vigilance in staging procedures is indicated.

18F-FDG PET/CT Prediction of Treatment Outcomes in Human Papillomavirus-Positive, Locally Advanced Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients Receiving Deintensified Therapy: Results from NRG-HN002.

The purpose of this study was to determine the negative predictive value (NPV) of a 12- to 14-wk posttreatment PET/CT for 2-y progression-free survival (PFS) and locoregional control (LRC) in patients with p16-positive locoregionally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (LA-OPC). Study was a secondary endpoint in NRG-HN002, a noncomparative phase II trial in p16-positive LA-OPC, stage T1-T2, N1-N2b or T3, N0-N2b, and ≤10 pack-year smoking. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to reduced-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with or without cisplatin. Methods: PET/CT scans were reviewed centrally. Tumor response evaluations for the primary site, right neck, and left neck were performed using a 5-point ordinal scale (Hopkins criteria). Overall scores were then assigned as negative, positive, or indeterminate. Patients with a negative score for all 3 evaluation sites were given an overall score of negative. The hypotheses were NPV for PFS and LRC at 2-y posttreatment ≤ 90% versus >90% (1-sided P value, 0.10). Results: A total of 316 patients were enrolled, of whom 306 were randomized and eligible. Of these, 131 (42.8%) patients consented to a posttherapy PET/CT, and 117 (89.3%) patients were eligible for PET/CT analysis. The median time from the end of treatment to PET/CT scan was 94 d (range, 52-139 d). Estimated 2-y PFS and LRC rates in the analysis subgroup were 91.3% (95% CI, 84.6, 95.8%) and 93.8% (95% CI, 87.6, 97.5%), respectively. Posttreatment scans were negative for residual tumor for 115 patients (98.3%) and positive for 2 patients (1.7%). NPV for 2-y PFS was 92.0% (90% lower confidence bound [LCB] 87.7%; P = 0.30) and for LRC was 94.5% (90% LCB 90.6%; P = 0.07). Conclusion: In the context of deintensification with reduced-dose radiation, the NPV of a 12- to 14-wk posttherapy PET/CT for 2-y LRC is estimated to be >90%, similar to that reported for patients receiving standard chemoradiation. However, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the NPV is >90% for PFS.