Miquel Quer

Second neoplasm in patients with head and neck cancer

The improvement in locoregional control of head and neck carcinomas over the last decades does not appear to modify the final survival of these patients, mainly due to the appearance of distant metastases and second neoplasms. We ran a study to evaluate the incidence of second neoplasms and their characteristics in patients with head and neck carcinoma treated in our hospital.

The role of type of tobacco and type of alcoholic beverage in oral carcinogenesis

Incidence rates of oral and oropharyngeal cancers (oral cancer) in Spain are among the highest in Europe. Spain has a population heavily exposed to various types of tobacco and alcoholic beverages but the role and impact of tobacco type and beverage type in oral carcinogenesis remain controversial. To estimate the independent and joint effects of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking habits on the risk of developing oral cancer, we carried out a multicenter, hospital‐based, case‐control study in Spain. Data from 375 patients newly diagnosed with cancer of the oral cavity or oropharynx and 375 matched control subjects were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression procedures. All exposure characteristics of amount, duration and cessation of both tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking were strongly associated with cancer risk following a dose‐dependent relationship. At equal intake or duration levels, black‐tobacco smoking and drinking of spirits were both associated with a 2‐ to 4‐fold increase in cancer risk compared to blond tobacco smoking or drinking of wine or beer, respectively. While ever exposure to smoking only or drinking only was associated with a moderate and nonsignificant increase in cancer risk, a history of simultaneous exposure to both habits was associated with a 13‐fold increase that was compatible with a synergistic effect model (p‐value for interaction: 0.008). Exposure to black tobacco smoking and/or drinking of spirits may account for up to 77% of oral cancer occurrence in Spain. Both black tobacco smoking and drinking of spirits place individuals at a very high risk of developing oral cancer. Simultaneous exposure to tobacco and alcohol consumption increases oral cancer risk in a synergistic fashion, even when consumption levels are moderate. These results underline the importance of type of tobacco and alcohol concentration in oral carcinogenesis.

Distant metastases in head and neck cancer patients who achieved loco-regional control.

One of the reasons for failure in patients with head and neck carcinoma who achieve locoregional control with treatment is the appearance of distant metastases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of distant metastases in this group of patients and to determine the relative role of several prognostic factors in the subsequent development of distant metastases.

HPV Involvement in Head and Neck Cancers: Comprehensive Assessment of Biomarkers in 3680 Patients

BACKGROUND We conducted a large international study to estimate fractions of head and neck cancers (HNCs) attributable to human papillomavirus (HPV-AFs) using six HPV-related biomarkers of viral detection, transcription, and cellular transformation. METHODS Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cancer tissues of the oral cavity (OC), pharynx, and larynx were collected from pathology archives in 29 countries. All samples were subject to histopathological evaluation, DNA quality control, and HPV-DNA detection. Samples containing HPV-DNA were further subject to HPV E6*I mRNA detection and to p16(INK4a), pRb, p53, and Cyclin D1 immunohistochemistry. Final estimates of HPV-AFs were based on HPV-DNA, HPV E6*I mRNA, and/or p16(INK4a) results. RESULTS A total of 3680 samples yielded valid results: 1374 pharyngeal, 1264 OC, and 1042 laryngeal cancers. HPV-AF estimates based on positivity for HPV-DNA, and for either HPV E6*I mRNA or p16(INK4a), were 22.4%, 4.4%, and 3.5% for cancers of the oropharynx, OC, and larynx, respectively, and 18.5%, 3.0%, and 1.5% when requiring simultaneous positivity for all three markers. HPV16 was largely the most common type. Estimates of HPV-AF in the oropharynx were highest in South America, Central and Eastern Europe, and Northern Europe, and lowest in Southern Europe. Women showed higher HPV-AFs than men for cancers of the oropharynx in Europe and for the larynx in Central-South America. CONCLUSIONS HPV contribution to HNCs is substantial but highly heterogeneous by cancer site, region, and sex. This study, the largest exploring HPV attribution in HNCs, confirms the important role of HPVs in oropharyngeal cancer and drastically downplays the previously reported involvement of HPVs in the other HNCs.

Proposal for revision of the European Laryngological Society classification of endoscopic cordectomies.

A classification of laryngeal endoscopic cordectomies, which included eight different types, was first proposed by the European Laryngological Society in 2000. The purpose of this proposal of classification was an attempt to reach better consensus amongst clinicians and agree on uniformity in reporting the extent and depth of resection of cordectomy procedures, to allow relevant comparisons within the literature when presenting/publishing the results of surgery, and to recommend the use of guidelines to allow for reproducibility amongst practicing laryngologists. A total of 24 article citations of this classification have been found through the science citation index, as well as 3 book chapters on larynx cancer surgery, confirming its acceptance. However, on reflection, and with the passage of time, lesions originating at the anterior commissure have not been clearly described and, for that reason, a new endoscopic cordectomy (type VI) for cancers of the anterior commissure, which have extended or not to one or both of the vocal folds, without infiltration of the thyroid cartilage is now being proposed by the European Laryngological Society Committee on Nomenclature to revise and complete the initially reported classification.

An anatomical study of anastomoses between the laryngeal nerves

Objective: To systematize the anatomy of the connecting branches between laryngeal nerves. Methods: Microdissection of 90 larynges obtained from necropsies (57 men and 33 women; age range, 41–95 y). Results: Anastomoses between the internal and recurrent nerves appeared in four different patterns: 1) Galens anastomosis, as the connection between the dorsal branches of both nerves (100%); 2) arytenoid plexus, as the connection between the arytenoid branches of both nerves, in relation with the arytenoid muscle, and divided in a deep part (100%) and a superficial part (86%); 3) cricoid anastomosis, previously only described in cows, located in the front of the cricoid lamina (6/10 cases); and 4) thyroarytenoid anastomosis, as the connection of a descending branch of the internal laryngeal nerve and an ascending branch of the recurrent nerve (14%). Anastomosis between the internal laryngeal and the external laryngeal nerves appeared as a connecting branch throughout the foramen thyroideum (21%). Anastomosis between the external laryngeal and recurrent nerves appeared as a connecting branch throughout the cricothyroid muscle (68%). Conclusion: At least two anastomoses (Galens anastomosis and arytenoid plexus) appeared in 21% of hemilarynges, and 79% of cases had three or more anastomoses between the laryngeal nerves. The different prevalence of this complex anastomotic pattern suggests functional differences in the sensory and motor innervation of individual subjects. Key Words: Larynx, innervation, anastomosis, nerves.

Variability in Nerve Patterns of the Adductor Muscle Group Supplied by the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve

Introduction: Accurate knowledge of the nerve supply of each individual muscle is needed to achieve a successful selective reinnervation of the larynx. The aim of the present work was to study the nerve supply of the adductor laryngeal muscles supplied by the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

Is the external laryngeal nerve an exclusively motor nerve? The cricothyroid connection branch

Objectives To obtain an accurate morphological description of the nerve that provides communication between the external laryngeal nerve and the recurrent laryngeal nerve in a large sample of human larynges.

Influence of the persistence of tobacco and alcohol use in the appearance of second neoplasm in patients with a head and neck cancer. A case-control study

ObjectiveTo evaluate the influence of persistent tobacco and alcohol use on the risk of a second metachronous neoplasm in the aerodigestive tract in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients.MethodsA matched case–control study was carried out in 514 patients with HNSCC. Case patients developed a second metachronous neoplasm in the aerodigestive tract after treatment of an index HNSCC. A patient free of second neoplasm was individually matched to every case patient by location of the index tumor, tumor stage, sex, previous tobacco and alcohol consumption, age, general health status, and treatment. Data about persistence in tobacco and alcohol consumption after treatment of the index tumor was collected retrospectively. A validation study was carried out to confirm the adequacy of this retrospective information.ResultsPersistent tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking after treatment of a HNSCC contributed to the risk of appearance of second neoplasm. The odds ratio of a second neoplasm for patients who continued to smoke was 2.9 (95% CI OR 1.8–4.1), and for patients who continued to use alcohol it was 5.2 (95% CI OR 3.3–7.9). There was a strong association between persistence of tobacco and alcohol use after treatment of the HNSCC index tumor. According to the attributable risk estimation, persistent tobacco and alcohol consumption would be responsible for one-third of the second neoplasms in the patients with a HNSCC index tumor.ConclusionsPersistence of tobacco and alcohol use after treatment of a HNSCC had a significant influence on the appearance of a second neoplasm in the aerodigestive tract. Cessation of tobacco and alcohol use should be a major goal after treatment of a HNSCC.

Endoscopic supraglottic laryngectomy: a proposal for a classification by the working committee on nomenclature, European Laryngological Society.

In July 1999, the European Laryngological Society (ELS) has accepted a proposal for the classification of different laryngeal endoscopic cordectomies. This is actually a common classification system used as a tool for surgical training, documentation and comparison of results. The same harmonization work is deemed necessary for the treatment of supraglottic lesions. The ELS is proposing a classification of the different laryngeal endoscopic supraglottic partial laryngectomies. This classification comprises four types of supraglottic laryngectomies: Type I, limited excision of small size superficial lesions of the free edge of the epiglottis, the ary-epiglottic fold, the arytenoid, or the ventricular fold or any other part of the supraglottis; Type II, medial supraglottic laryngectomy without resection of the pre-epiglottic space, suitable for T1 lesions of either the suprahyoid or the infrahyoid laryngeal surface of the epiglottis (Type IIa, superior hemi-epiglottectomy or Type IIb, total epiglottectomy, respectively); Type III, medial supraglottic laryngectomy with resection of the pre-epiglottic space, suitable for T1–T2 tumors of the infrahyoid endolaryngeal epiglottis without (Type IIIa) or with (Type IIIb) extension to the ventricular fold, necessitating its excision; finally, Type IV, lateral supraglottic laryngectomy, suitable for tumors of the threefolds’ region, which may include the ventricular fold (Type IVa) or the arytenoid (Type IVb), when involved. As in the cases of endoscopic cordectomies, these operations are similarly classified according to the surgical approach used and the degree of resection completed in order to facilitate their use in daily clinical practice.