Christopher J. Balamucki

Skin carcinoma of the head and neck with perineural invasion.

PURPOSE The aim of the study was to update the experience treating cutaneous squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas of the head and neck with incidental or clinical perineural invasion (PNI) with radiotherapy (RT). MATERIALS AND METHODS From 1965 to 2007, 216 patients received RT alone or with surgery and/or chemotherapy. RESULTS The 5-year overall, cause-specific, and disease-free survivals for incidental and clinical PNIs were 55% vs 54%, 73% vs 64%, and 67% vs 51%. The 5-year local control, local-regional control, and freedom from distant metastases for incidental and clinical PNIs were 80% vs 54%, 70% vs 51%, and 90% vs 94%. On univariate and multivariate (P = .0038 and .0047) analyses, clinical PNI was a poor prognostic factor for local control. The rates of grade 3 or higher complication in the incidental and clinical PNI groups were 16% and 36%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Radiotherapy plays a critical role in the treatment of this disease. Clinical PNI should be adequately irradiated to include the involved nerves to the skull base.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck.

PURPOSE To report our experience using radiotherapy alone or combined with surgery to treat adenoid cystic carcinoma of the head and neck. MATERIALS AND METHODS Radiotherapy alone or combined with surgery was used to treat 120 previously untreated patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the head and neck from August 1966 to March 2008. Patients were treated with curative intent. American Joint Committee on Cancer stage distribution was,T0 (n = 1), T1 (n = 26), T2 (n = 25), T3 (n = 14), T4 (n = 54), N0 (n = 113), N1 (n = 2), N2a (n = 1), N2b (n = 2), and N2c (n = 2). Treatment included surgery with postoperative radiotherapy (n = 71), radiotherapy alone (n = 46), and preoperative radiotherapy and surgery (n = 3). Incidental and clinical perineural invasion was found in 41 (34%) and 35 (29%) patients, respectively. Median follow-up was 8.6 and 11.6 years overall and among living patients, respectively. RESULTS The 10-year overall, cause-specific, and distant metastasis-free survival rates, respectively, were as follows: radiotherapy alone, 37%, 46%, and 76%; surgery and radiotherapy, 57%, 71%, and 62%; and overall, 50%. The 10-year local control rates were as follows: radiotherapy alone, 36%; surgery and radiotherapy, 84%; and overall, 65%. The 10-year neck control rates were as follows: elective nodal irradiation (ENI), 98%; no ENI, 89%; and overall, 95%. CONCLUSIONS Surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy offer the best chance for cure for patients with resectable adenoid cystic carcinomas of the head and neck. Some patients with advanced, incompletely resectable disease can be cured with radiotherapy alone. ENI should be considered for primary sites located in lymphatic-rich regions.

Repeat gamma knife radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia.

PURPOSE Repeat gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GKRS) for recurrent or persistent trigeminal neuralgia induces an additional response but at the expense of an increased incidence of facial numbness. The present series summarized the results of a repeat treatment series at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, including a multivariate analysis of the data to identify the prognostic factors for treatment success and toxicity. METHODS AND MATERIALS Between January 1999 and December 2007, 37 patients underwent a second GKRS application because of treatment failure after a first GKRS treatment. The mean initial dose in the series was 87.3 Gy (range, 80-90). The mean retreatment dose was 84.4 Gy (range, 60-90). The dosimetric variables recorded included the dorsal root entry zone dose, pons surface dose, and dose to the distal nerve. RESULTS Of the 37 patients, 81% achieved a >50% pain relief response to repeat GKRS, and 57% experienced some form of trigeminal dysfunction after repeat GKRS. Two patients (5%) experienced clinically significant toxicity: one with bothersome numbness and one with corneal dryness requiring tarsorraphy. A dorsal root entry zone dose at repeat treatment of >26.6 Gy predicted for treatment success (61% vs. 32%, p = .0716). A cumulative dorsal root entry zone dose of >84.3 Gy (72% vs. 44%, p = .091) and a cumulative pons surface dose of >108.5 Gy (78% vs. 44%, p = .018) predicted for post-GKRS numbness. The presence of any post-GKRS numbness predicted for a >50% decrease in pain intensity (100% vs. 60%, p = .0015). CONCLUSION Repeat GKRS is a viable treatment option for recurrent trigeminal neuralgia, although the patient assumes a greater risk of nerve dysfunction to achieve maximal pain relief.

Mohs resection and postoperative radiotherapy for head and neck cancers with incidental perineural invasion.

PURPOSE To update our experience treating cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinomas (BCC) of the head and neck with incidental perineural invasion (PNI) using Mohs resection followed by radiotherapy (RT). We compare outcomes between head and neck patients with incidental PNI who received Mohs surgery and those who did not. MATERIALS AND METHODS From 1987 to 2009, 36 patients were treated with Mohs resection followed by postoperative RT; 82 patients were treated with resection other than Mohs followed by postoperative RT. RESULTS The 5-year overall survival and cause-specific survival rates for patients who received Mohs resection plus RT and those who received a non-Mohs resection plus RT were 53% versus 56% (p=0.809) and 84% versus 68% (p=0.0329), respectively. The 5-year local control rates for Mohs and non-Mohs patients were 86% versus 76% (p=0.0606), respectively. The 5-year local-regional control and freedom from distant metastases rates for the Mohs group were 77% and 92%, respectively. The 5-year overall neck control, neck control with elective neck RT, and neck control without elective RT treatment rates for the Mohs group were 91%, 100%, and 82% (p=0.0763), respectively. The rate of grade 3 or higher complication in the Mohs group was 22%, which included bone exposure (N=3), cataract (N=2), chronic non-healing wound (N=2), wound infection (N=1), fistula (N=1), and/or radiation retinopathy (N=1). CONCLUSIONS Mohs surgery appears to result in improved local control and cause-specific survival in patients with incidental PNI who receive postoperative RT. Elective nodal RT improves regional control in patients with SCC.

Impact of radiographic findings on for prognosis skin cancer with perineural invasion.

Objectives:Update our experience using radiotherapy (RT) for head-and-neck squamous or basal cell carcinoma with clinical perineural invasion (PNI) and correlate radiographic findings with outcomes. Materials and Methods:We treated 65 patients with cT4N0 head-and-neck skin cancers with clinical PNI from 1965 to 2009 (N0 disease, 59; N1 disease, 6). Treatment included RT alone (N=18), RT with concurrent chemotherapy (N=14), surgery and postoperative RT (N=26), or postoperative RT with concurrent chemotherapy (N=5), and preoperative RT and surgery (N=2). Patients were stratified by imaging-negative disease (N=11), minimal or moderate peripheral disease (N=18), and macroscopic and/or central disease (N=36). Median RT dose was 72.6 Gy (50.4 to 79.2 Gy). Median follow-up overall and for living patients was 5.4 and 11.6 years, respectively. Results:Five-year outcomes for imaging-negative disease versus minimal/moderate peripheral disease versus macroscopic/central disease were: local control, 81% versus 60% versus 47% (P=0.23); local-regional control, 80% versus 54% versus 47% (P=0.22); neck control, 100% versus 89% versus 93% (P=0.45); and distant metastasis-free survival, 89% versus 100% versus 93% (P=0.57), respectively. Five-year survival rates for imaging-negative disease versus minimal/moderate peripheral disease versus macroscopic/central disease were: overall survival, 82% versus 50% versus 52% (P=0.26), and cause-specific survival, 100% versus 58% versus 65% (P=0.08). Twenty-two (34%) patients had 1 or more severe (grade ≥3) late complications. Conclusions:There is a nonsignificant trend towards improved local control for imaging-negative patients and patients with minimal/moderate peripheral disease compared with macroscopic/central disease. Although survival appears better for imaging-negative patients, extent of imaging-positive PNI did not impact overall or cause-specific survival.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal margin: the university of Florida experience.

Objective:To update our experience in treating squamous cell carcinoma of the anal margin with definitive radiotherapy (RT). Methods:A total of 26 patients treated curatively with RT between 1979 and 2008, with or without concurrent chemotherapy, were retrospectively reviewed. American Joint Committee on Cancer stage distribution was: T1, N = 1; T2, N = 16; T3, N = 9; N0, N = 25; and N1, N = 1. Concurrent chemotherapy was administered in 12 of 26 patients (T2, 19%; T3, 100%). Median age was 48.5 years (range, 31–84 years) with a median follow-up of 8.4 years (range, 0.9–16.1 years). Median total dose was 59.4 Gy in 33 fractions. Elective inguinal lymph-node irradiation was administered to 23 of 25 N0 patients. Results:The 10-year cause-specific survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival were 92%, 88%, and 56%, respectively. Of the 26 patients, 24 experienced complete tumor regression; their local-control rate was 96%. Four patients developed recurrences (1 local, 2 regional, and 1 local/regional/distant). The 2 patients who did not receive elective inguinal lymph-node irradiation recurred in this region. Ten patients died of intercurrent disease between 2.0 and 15.9 years after RT. Two patients died with disease at 10.7 and 18.2 months after RT, whereas 1 patient is alive with local disease at 11.2 years after RT. The remaining 13 patients are alive and disease-free between 1.0 and 16.1 years after RT. The anal-sphincter-preservation rate was 88% with no severe long-term complications after RT. Conclusions:Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal margin have a high probability of cure with sphincter preservation after RT with or without concurrent chemotherapy.