Richard B. Cannon

Treatment-related determinants of survival in early-stage (T1-2N0M0) oral cavity cancer: A population-based study

National guidelines support both surgical and radiotherapy (RT) as initial treatment options for early‐stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). There remains limited data evaluating the survival outcomes of RT and the current practice patterns for these lesions.

Facial nerve outcomes after middle fossa decompression for Bell's palsy.

Objective Evaluate the long-term outcomes of facial nerve decompression via the middle fossa approach for Bell’s palsy patients with poor prognosis based on clinical and electrodiagnostic testing. Study Design Retrospective case series. Setting Tertiary-care, academic medical center. Patients Fourteen patients underwent surgical decompression for Bell’s palsy within 14 days of symptom onset from 2000 to 2012. Surgical criteria included greater than 90% degeneration on ENoG testing and no voluntary EMG potentials. Intervention Middle cranial fossa (MCF) bony decompression of the facial nerve, including the meatal foramen, labyrinthine segment, and geniculate ganglion. Main Outcome Measures Long-term facial function, hearing results, and surgical complications. Results After MCF decompression, 10 patients (71.4%) regained normal or near-normal facial function (House-Brackmann [HB] I or II) within 1 year after surgery, and 5 of those patients (35.7%) improved to HB I. The remaining 4 patients (28.6%) improved to HB III. Patients older than 60 years (n = 3) had an HB III outcome and did significantly worse than the younger-than-60-years group (p = 0.002). The difference in preoperative and postoperative pure tone average and word recognition score was 2.1 dB and 0.9%, respectively. There were no major complications. Minor, transient complications occurred in 22.2% of patients. Conclusion In patients with severe Bell’s palsy at risk for a poor facial nerve outcome, MCF decompression of the facial nerve within 14 days of symptom onset provides good facial nerve outcomes with minimal morbidity.

Psychosocial Distress in Patients with Thyroid Cancer

Objective The purpose of this study is to evaluate levels of psychosocial distress in thyroid cancer patients. An analysis of factors contributing to levels of distress is included. Study Design Individual retrospective cohort study. Setting Head and neck cancer clinic at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Subjects and Methods A total of 118 newly diagnosed thyroid cancer patients were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluated levels of and factors contributing to distress. Results Almost half (43.3%) of patients had significant distress. Those with self-reported psychiatric history, use of antidepressant medication, and history of radiation treatment had higher levels of distress. On multivariate analysis, patient endorsement of emotional issues predicted a higher distress level. Conclusions Thyroid cancer patients have high distress levels. Identification of thyroid cancer patients with high distress levels is important to offer additional support during cancer therapy.

Increasing use of nonsurgical therapy in advanced-stage oral cavity cancer: A population-based study

National guidelines support surgical‐based treatment and offer nonsurgical therapy as an alternative for advanced‐stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). There are limited data evaluating current utilization of these therapies and their survival outcomes.

Methods to reduce postoperative surgical site infections after head and neck oncology surgery

Head and neck cancer surgery is often a complex multi-step procedure that includes major resections, vascularised tissue reconstruction, and extensive neck dissection. The upper aerodigestive tract mucosal lining is often disrupted during surgery, which requires the management of a clean-contaminated field and the need to reconstruct the mucosal lining. With bacterial contamination, surgical site infections (SSI) are a serious complication that can result in delayed wound healing, wound breakdown, fistula formation, and compromised tissue reconstruction. Methods to reduce SSI in patients with head and neck cancer have been intensely researched, yielding evolving and varied practice patterns. In this Review, we outline the data supporting perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis for clean-contaminated surgeries, which suggest that clindamycin is an inadequate prophylactic antibiotic therapy in the reduction of SSI, and that prolonged antibiotic courses have no established benefit. For salvage laryngectomy after radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, reconstruction with vascularised tissue reduces the frequency and severity of pharyngocutaneous fistula formation. These evidence-based recommendations have been shown to reduce the chance of SSI after head and neck surgery.

A self-controlled study of the effect of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion on diabetic neuropathy

Ten patients with poorly controlled type I diabetes mellitus and a documented complication of their disease were observed during 6 months of conventional diabetic management followed by 6 months of insulin infusion pump treatment and home blood glucose monitoring. Median nerve conduction velocity (NCV) was inversely correlated with the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level at entry into the study (r = 0.71; P less than 0.05). The mean HbA1c value at the end of the conventional treatment period was 14.3% and fell to 10.1% by completion of the pump treatment period (P less than 0.0001). The median NCV was significantly greater at the completion of the infusion treatment period than it was at the end of the conventional management portion of the study. However, the rate of increase in NCV during the infusion period was not greater than the rate established during the prior treatment period. In addition, change in HbA1c levels during the pump treatment period did not correlate with change in conduction velocity for any of the nerves studies. These results from a self-controlled study of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion indicate that improved blood glucose control without normalization of metabolic parameters is not sufficient to reverse the functional deterioration of large, fast-conducting nerve fibers that occurs in type I diabetes.

Elective Neck Dissection for Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Skull Base Invasion.

Objectives Skull base invasion from cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) via perineural spread affects survival and the rate of regional metastasis. Our objective is to investigate the factors associated with elective neck dissection (END) in this population and the survival difference with END compared with observation for patients with a cN0 neck. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Academic. Subjects and Methods Patients were treated surgically for head and neck cSCC with skull base invasion via perineural spread with a cN0 neck from 2004 to 2014. Clinicopathologic data were collected and analyzed. Primary outcomes were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results Fifty-nine patients met inclusion criteria: 28 underwent an END and 31 underwent neck observation. Free tissue transfer reconstruction was significantly associated with END (P < .001). Patients treated with an END had significantly improved 5-year DFS (57% and 32%, P = .042) and OS (60% and 37%, P = .036) compared with those who were observed and a significantly reduced rate of regional recurrence (9% and 37%, P = .024). The rate of occult nodal metastasis identified with END was 36% and is approximately equal to the regional failure rate of the neck observation group (37%). Conclusion END was more commonly used in cases requiring free tissue transfer. The use of END for head and neck cSCCs that have invaded the skull base is not routinely performed but was found to be associated with a survival advantage and reduced regional recurrence rate.

Erratum: Skull Base Invasion Patterns and Survival Outcomes of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers

Objective Report routes of skull base invasion for head and neck nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) and their survival outcomes. Design Retrospective. Participants Ninety patients with NMSC with skull base invasion between 2004 and 2014. Major Outcome Measures Demographic, tumor characteristics, and treatments associated with different types of skull base invasion and disease‐specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS). Results Perineural invasion (PNI) to the skull base occurred in 69% of patients, whereas 38% had direct skull base invasion. Age, histology, orbital invasion, active immunosuppression, cranial nerve (CN) involved, and type of skull base invasion were significantly associated with DSS and OS (p < 0.05). Patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) had significantly improved DSS and OS compared with other histologies (p < 0.05). Patients with CN V PNI had significantly improved DSS and OS compared with CN VII PNI (p < 0.05). Patients with zone II PNI had significantly improved DSS and OS compared with those with direct invasion or zone III PNI (p < 0.05). Nonsurgical therapy was rarely used and is associated with a reduction in DSS and OS (p < 0.05). Conclusion Patterns and survival outcomes for NMSC skull base invasion are reported. Zone II PNI, BCC, and CN V PNI are associated with improved survival outcomes.

Imaging and Outcomes for a New Entity: Low-Grade Sinonasal Sarcoma with Neural and Myogenic Features

Objectives Low-grade sinonasal sarcoma with neural and myogenic features (LGSSNMF) is a new, rare tumor. Our goal is to describe the imaging characteristics and surgical outcomes of this unique skull base malignancy. Design Retrospective case series. Setting Academic medical center. Participants There were three patients who met inclusion criteria with a confirmed LGSSNMF. Main Outcome Measures Imaging and histopathological characteristics, treatments, survival and recurrence outcomes, complications, morbidity, and mortality. Results Patients presented with diplopia, facial discomfort, a supraorbital mass, and nasal obstruction. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography imaging in all cases showed an enhancing sinonasal mass with associated hyperostotic bone formation that involved the frontal sinus, invaded the lamina papyracea and anterior skull base, and had intracranial extension. One patient underwent a purely endoscopic surgical resection and the second underwent a craniofacial resection, while the last is pending treatment. All patients recovered well, without morbidity or long-term complications, and are currently without evidence of disease (mean follow-up of 2.1 years). One patient recurred after 17 months and underwent a repeat endoscopic skull base and dural resection. Conclusions The surgical outcomes and imaging of this unique, locally aggressive skull base tumor are characterized.

Association of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act With Insurance Coverage for Head and Neck Cancer in the SEER Database

Importance Patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) are often uninsured or underinsured at the time of their diagnosis. This access to care has been shown to influence treatment decisions and survival outcomes. Objective To examine the association of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) health care legislation with rates of insurance coverage and access to care among patients with HNSCC. Design, Setting, and Participants Prospectively gathered data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were used to examine rates of insurance coverage and access to care among 89 038 patients with newly diagnosed HNSCC from January 2007 to December 2014. Rates of insurance were compared between states that elected to expand Medicaid coverage in 2014 and states that opted out of the expansion. Statistical analysis was performed from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2014. Main Outcomes and Measures Rates of insurance coverage and disease-specific and overall survival. Results Among 89 038 patients newly diagnosed with HNSCC (29 384 women and 59 654 men; mean [SD] age, 59.8 [7.6] years), there was an increase after implementation of the ACA in the percentage of patients enrolled in Medicaid (16.2% after vs 14.8% before; difference, 1.4%; 95% CI, 1.1%-1.7%) and private insurance (80.7% after vs 78.9% before; difference, 1.8%; 95% CI, 1.2%-2.4%). In addition, there was a large decrease in the rate of uninsured patients after implementation of the ACA (3.0% after vs 6.2% before; difference, 3.2%; 95% CI, 2.9%-3.5%). This decrease in the rate of uninsured patients and the associated increases in Medicaid and private insurance coverage were only different in the states that adopted the Medicaid expansion in 2014. No survival data are available after implementation of the ACA, but prior to that point, from 2007 to 2013, uninsured patients had reduced 5-year overall survival (48.5% vs 62.5%; difference, 14.0%; 95% CI, 12.8%-15.2%) and 5-year disease-specific survival compared with insured patients (56.6% vs 72.2%; difference, 15.6%; 95% CI, 14.0%-17.2%). Conclusions and Relevance Access to health care for patients with HNSCC was improved after implementation of the ACA, with an increase in rates of both Medicaid and private insurance and a 2-fold decrease in the rate of uninsured patients. These outcomes were demonstrated only in states that adopted the Medicaid expansion in 2014. Uninsured patients had poorer survival outcomes.