Endoscopic-assisted orbital exenteration: Technical feasibility and surgical results from a single-center consecutive series.

The purposes of this study were to describe the endoscopic-assisted orbital exenteration surgical techniques, to report preliminary outcomes and to discuss advantages, indications and limitations of this approach. All patients who underwent endoscopic-assisted orbital exenteration at a single tertiary-care center were retrospectively reviewed. A concomitant reconstruction was performed in all cases. The extent of surgical resection was tailored to the size and location of tumor and was classified into four subtypes. A total of 40 patients were included in this series. Orbital exenteration type 1 was performed in 7 cases, type 2 in 11 cases, type 3 in 19 cases, and type 4 in 3 cases. The reconstruction was performed with a pedicled temporal flap in 5 patients and with a free vascularized flap in 34 cases. A radical resection of disease was obtained in 32 cases. After a mean follow-up of 36 months, 14 patients died of disease, one patient died of other causes, 7 are alive with disease, and 18 patients are currently alive without evidence of disease. The preliminary data emerging from this case-series support the feasibility and safety of endoscopic-assisted orbital exenteration.

Tongue cancer treatment and oncological outcomes: The role of glossectomy classification.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays surgery remains the gold standard of treatment for tongue cancer. Via a more clear and precise terminology, the glossectomy classification by Ansarin et al. facilitates shared communication between surgeons, allowing comparison between published research and improving surgical practice and patient care. To establish the association of glossectomies, according to their classification by Ansarin et al. with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DSF), and cause-specific survival (CSS) in tongue cancer, we conducted a systemic retrospective study on 300 consecutive patients affected by primary oral tongue cancer and treated with surgery at the European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS (IEO). METHODS: Three hundred patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma and treated at the Division of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery of the European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS were cataloged according to the glossectomy classification. OS, DFS, and CSS were compared by surgical treatments. RESULTS: OS-5yrs was 80% for the type I glossectomy group, 75% for type II, 65% for type III, and 35% for type IV-V. DFS-5yrs was 74%, 60%, 55%, and 27%, respectively for I, II, III, and IV-V glossectomy group; CSS-5yrs was 82%, 80%, 72%, and 48%, respectively for I, II, III, and IV-V glossectomy group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that the application of the glossectomy classification was statistically correlated with patients' oncological outcomes.

Maxillary Sinus Floor Infiltration: Results From a Series of 118 Maxillary Sinus Cancers.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Maxillary cancers are rare and aggressive tumors, which can spread beyond the sinus bony walls. Preoperative assessment of infiltration of maxillary sinus floor (MSF) is paramount for surgical planning, as palatomaxillary demolition significantly impacts patients' quality of life. This study investigates the challenges involved in the preoperative and intraoperative evaluation of MSF infiltration and analyzes its prognostic relevance. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients treated for sinonasal malignancies at a single Institution was performed. Patients receiving surgical-based treatment with curative intent for primary maxillary sinus cancers, between January 2000 and November 2019, were included. RESULTS: A cohort of 118 patients was analyzed. By comparing intraoperative findings (endoscopic assessment and frozen sections) with preoperative radiological assessment, diagnostic changes with regard to MSF infiltration were found in 27.1% (32/118 cases). MSF infiltration negatively affected the prognosis in both univariate and multivariate analyses in the overall population. In the subgroup of pT1-T3 tumors, MSF infiltration was significantly associated with reduced overall (P = .012), disease-free (P = .011), and distant recurrence-free (P = .002) survival rates. Conversely, pT classification was not able to stratify patients according to prognosis, mainly because early-staged cancers (pT1-T2) with MSF infiltration showed reduced survival rates, similar to those observed in pT3 cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative imaging should be integrated with intraoperative findings based on endoscopic inspection and frozen sections. Future studies are required to investigate the opportunity to incorporate MSF infiltration in the TNM staging system, considering its crucial role in defining the extent of surgery and its potential as prognosticator. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 132:26-35, 2022.

Multidisciplinary treatment algorithm for the management of sinonasal cancers with orbital invasion: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Sinonasal cancers frequently involve the orbit with resulting controversies on whether to remove or preserve the orbital contents. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients with primary sinonasal cancer involving the orbit, treated according to a multidisciplinary protocol tailored to tumor histology and extent of orbital invasion in two tertiary care referral centers over a 20-year period. RESULTS: The oncological and functional outcomes of 163 patients were analyzed. The degree of orbital involvement significantly affected both overall (P < .0001) and disease-free (P < .0001) survival. Orbital apex invasion was an independent negative prognostic factor (5-year overall survival, 14.6% ± 7.5%), with dismal prognosis regardless of the treatment adopted. An appropriate use of induction chemotherapy and endoscopic-assisted surgery allowed for orbital preservation in 76.6% of cases; 96% of patients treated using an orbit-sparing approach maintained a functional eye after treatment. CONCLUSION: The multimodal treatment algorithm herein proposed was able to maximize orbital preservation rates with acceptable oncological and functional outcomes.