Results of pretreatment swallowing evaluation in patients with stage III/IV laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinoma are among the common head and neck cancers causing considerable swallowing dysfunction. The functional status of the organ (larynx) is an important point of contention while considering the patients for organ preservation protocol. METHODOLOGY: The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the swallowing status in stage III/IV laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinoma and its influence on treatment decision. We evaluated all treatment naïve patients who were referred to the swallowing clinic in 2017 (Jan-Dec) for assessment of swallowing prior to treatment initiation. RESULTS: One hundred patients satisfied the eligibility criteria and were included in the study. The site and stage of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer cases were almost equal in number. Their median age was 58 years. Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) was done in all patients. 30% of the patients only had swallowing difficulties. Only advanced T-stage (p = 0.04) had an influence on the pretreatment swallowing status. Thirty-seven patients required nasogastric tube (NGT) for feeding. By 2 month post-treatment completion, most patients on NGT could resume oral feeding. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment swallowing assessment alone did not significantly seem to influence our decisions for organ preservation treatment. However, patients with aspiration could be identified and managed appropriately. Most patients on NGT could resume oral feeds post-treatment completion.

Risk factors predisposing for recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy following thyroid malignancy surgery: experience from a tertiary oncology centre.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy is one of the major morbidities encountered after thyroid surgery. The risk further increases when surgery is performed for thyroid malignancies. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective study of patients who underwent hemi, total or completion thyroidectomy at our institute between June 2017 to May 2019 were analyzed. We assessed factors that predisposed to the development of RLN palsy. RESULTS: The study comprised of 228 patients. A total of 400 nerves were at risk. The RLN palsy rate was 6.8% (n = 27). On univariate and multivariate analysis, the risk of RLN palsy was seen most with pT4a tumor (OR = 8.5), gross extra-thyroidal extension (ETE) (OR = 3.5) and tracheo-esophageal groove (TEG) (OR = 2.8) involvement, followed by aggressive histopathology, and central compartment node positivity. CONCLUSION: pT4a tumors, gross ETE, and TEG involvement were the leading causes predisposing for the development of RLN palsy in our series.

The results of sequential swallowing assessments after total laryngectomy for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Swallowing after total laryngectomy (TL) is altered and the swallowing related issues are largely underreported. It is important to identify factors that may negatively influence swallowing after TL in order to rehabilitate these patients appropriately. METHODS: The study included patients who underwent TL from June 2015 to November 2017 for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal malignancy. Sequential swallowing assessment was done in these patients over time. The assessments were done using the FOIS scale and the PSS-HN normalcy of diet scores and analysed to assess the presence of swallowing related issues, factors influencing swallowing and its recovery over time. RESULTS: Sixty-seven who underwent total laryngectomy (TL) were included in the study. Swallowing assessments were done once in 3 months. Overall there was an improvement in swallowing over time. Both the FOIS (Median score of 3.82 in first to 5.77 in the fifth visit) and the PSS-HN scores (median score of 33.63 at first visit to 63.66 at fifth visit) improved over time. Patients undergoing TL after treatment failure with chemoradiotherapy (p value < 0.001) and those with advanced stage disease (p-value < 0.001) did poorly in terms of swallowing. At the last follow up only 8 patients were dependent on feeding tube; the rest of the patients were able to take food orally. CONCLUSION: Following total laryngectomy swallowing gradually improves in the first 18 months after surgery. It is essential to identify factors influencing swallowing negatively so that these patients can get appropriate attention to improve swallowing.

Importance of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Parameters in Predicting Temporary Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Palsy Following Thyroid Surgery for Malignancy.

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy is one of the feared complications following thyroid surgery. Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) has been used as an adjunct to reduce this complication. In the present study, we attempted to evaluate the IONM parameters such as latency, current requirement, and baseline amplitude that could predict temporary RLN palsy along with factors that could influence these parameters during thyroid surgery. This was a retrospective study of patients who underwent hemi, total, or completion thyroidectomy for cancer at our institute between June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2019 in whom IONM was used during surgery. The study consisted of 84 consecutive patients with 138 nerves at risk. The RLN palsy rate in our study was 5% (n = 7). Patients with low baseline amplitude and/or requiring higher current to maintain normal baseline amplitude were often associated with temporary RLN palsy. In the multivariate analysis, age > 40 years (p = 0.001, OR = 4.14) influenced the baseline EMG amplitude the most. The intraoperative current management was influenced by advanced pT stage (p = 0.001, OR = 2.87), and structural nerve injury (p = 0.001, OR = 3.15). Patients with low baseline amplitude and/or requiring higher current to maintain normal baseline amplitude were often associated with temporary RLN palsy. Factors such as age, pT stage, and structural nerve injury influenced the IONM stimulation and recording parameters.

Factors Predisposing to the Unplanned Hospital Readmission (UHR) in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC): Experience from a Tertiary Cancer Centre.

Unplanned hospital readmissions (UHR) are known to add to patient morbidity, increase the cost of the treatment, and negatively impact the postoperative quality of life. The objective of the study was to identify the UHR rates of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients following surgery and identify the predisposing factors for UHR. We conducted this retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent surgery for OSCC in our (single) surgical unit from January 2016 to December 2018. A total of 804 patients satisfied the eligibility criteria. Majority of the patients were males (n = 650, 80.8%). The median age of the patients was 50 years (Range: 16-89 years). The most common oral cavity subsite was buccal mucosa gingivobuccal (BM-GBS) OSCC. Forty patients (5%) required an UHR after discharge. The most common reason for readmissions was flap-related issues (11/40) and orocutaneous fistula (10/40). Other causes included wound infection (7/40), chest infection (2/40), hematoma/bleeding (3/40), and other lesser prevalent causes (7/40). Factors that significantly predisposed patients for UHR were re-exploration following the initial surgery [p < 0.001, OR 7.9 (4.09-15.59)] and BM-GBS subsite [< 0.001, OR: 2.89(1.24-6.73)]. The UHR rate in our study was 5%. Patients requiring re-exploration following the initial surgery and those with BM-GBS cancer were most likely to have the UHR.