Occult cervical lymph node metastases in 100 consecutive patients with cN0 tongue cancer.

BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue is one of the most common cancers in the oral and maxillofacial region. To provide clinical evidence for selective neck dissection in management of cN0 patients by analyzing the characteristics and correlation of factors of occult cervical lymph node metastases (OCLNM) in patients with SCC of the tongue. METHODS: From 2002 to 2006, 100 consecutive patients with SCC of the tongue were reviewed by analyzing the characteristics of OCLNM, diameter of the tumor, T classifications, depth of invasion, forms of growth, pathological grade and degree of differentiation. RESULTS: The rate of OCLNM in 100 patients with SCC of the tongue was 22%. The most common region with OCLNM was level II in the ipsilateral neck, followed by levels I and III. There were 51.61% (16/31) of OCLNM in level II and 87.10% (27/31) of OCLNM in levels I - III. There was no significant correlation between the diameter of tumor and OCLNM (P > 0.05). OCLNM was statistically significantly correlated with the depth of invasion, forms of growth, pathological grade and degree of differentiation (P < 0.05). The rate of occult metastases increased with the increased pathological grade, the decreased degree of differentiation and the increased depth of invasion. CONCLUSIONS: The most common regions with OCLNM in cN0 patients with SCC of the tongue were levels I - III in the ipsilateral neck. Supraomohyoid neck dissection should be the elective treatment to the neck in patients with cN0 SCC of the tongue by consideration of the clinical and pathological factors for the depth of invasion, forms of growth, pathological grade, and degree of differentiation.

[Evaluation of modified scene simulation teaching of endodontics in pre -clinical practice].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of modified scene simulation teaching of endodontics in pre-clinical teaching. METHODS: Forty students were randomly divided into the experimental group and control group, there were 20 students in each group. Students in the experimental group were taught with modified scene simulation teaching method, while students in the control group were taught with traditional teaching method. The teaching quality was compared with SPSS 18.0 software package. RESULTS: The score of the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group in history taking, medical records writing and practical performance(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The teaching effect of modified scene simulation teaching in pre-clinical teaching is better than traditional teaching method. It makes students better grasp the clinical medical essentials and feels the patient's feelings, as well as help the students to improve their subjective initiative of learning.

[Evaluation of nutrition risk and analysis of relative factors of patients with oral and maxillofacial cancer].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the potential nutrition risk and analyze relative factors in patients with oral and maxillofacial cancer, and explore the treatment method of nutrition risk. METHODS: Eighty eight patients with oral and maxillofacial cancer were included in the present study. Their age, height, weight, clinical classification, level of hemoglobin、albumin and prealbumin，present treatment were recorded and patients' body weight index (BMI) was calculated and scored based on a table of nutrition risk evaluation. The data were analyzed using SPSS 17.0 software package. RESULTS: In 88 cases of patients with oral and maxillofacial cancer, 18 patients had malnutrition (BMI<18.5 kg/m2), accounting for 20.45%; 49 patients had nutrition risk (NRS2000≥3 points), accounting for 55.68%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with oral and maxillofacial cancer had high nutrition risk. The older the age, the higher the nutrition risk will be. Anemia, low albumin and low prealbumin will increase the incidence of nutrition risks.

Establishment and characterization of a rabbit oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line as a model for in vivo studies.

The incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is increasing but the long-term survival rate remains low. An animal model would therefore be helpful for evaluation of new treatment modalities for oral SCC. Hamster is small animal, therefore, the cancer of hamster cheek pouch is not optimal for tumor imaging. The VX2 cell line has been used in many carcinoma-related studies, including oral SCC research, but it is derived from cutaneous tissue and not mucosa. We chemically induced tongue squamous cell carcinoma in rabbits and subsequently established a rabbit squamous cell line. The cells grew in multiple layers without contact inhibition for 60 passages over 2 years and were positive for cytokeratin (CK). Electron microscopy revealed that cells were polygonal with rich microvilli on the surface, and there were desmosomes between cells and bundles of tonofibril beside the cell membrane. The chromosome number ranged from 71 to 272, with a modal value of 145 (12.4%). The cells were transplantable into nude mice subcutaneously or rabbit submucosally and produced carcinomas in all the animals. The cell line should be a useful tool for the study of the biological characteristics of oral SCC, especially tongue SCC.

[Experimental study of target-specific adriamycin nanoparticles in treating tongue squamous cell carcinoma].

PURPOSE: This study was designed to explore the method for increasing the target-specific action of anticancer agent in treating tongue squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: 30 purebred New Zealand rabbits burdened with tongue squamous cell carcinoma were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A was treated with adriamycin and group B treated with adriamycin nanoparticles, with 15 animals in each group. The adriamycin and poly (buty1-2-cyanoacrylate)-adriamycin nanoparticles (mean diameter 93.1 nm+/-11.7 nm) with 1 mg/ml in concentration were administered respectively to subjects through super-selective lingual arterial tuber. The dose was 2 mg/kg for each group. 1, 5 and 15 hours after administration, 5 subjects were sacrificed and the tongue, carcinoma in tongue tissue, heart, liver, spleen, kidney and plasma were examined through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to identify the drug concentration. The data then underwent Student's t test. RESULTS: The drug concentration in the tongue and carcinoma in group B were significantly higher than those in group A (P<0.01). The drug concentration in heart, liver, spleen, kidney and plasma of group B were significantly lower than those of group A (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The super-selective lingual arterial administration of adriamycin nanoparticles can reinforce the target-specific action of anticancer agent, increase the drug concentration within the lesion and decrease it in non-specific organs.