Aims: The role of radiotherapy (RT) for inoperable gastric cancer (IGC) is commonly low-dose, given reactively for symptoms (e.g. bleeding), in contrast to the oesophagus, where high quality evidence exists for higher doses of RT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The ESPAC4 trial showed that adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus capecitabine (GemCap) produced longer overall survival (OS) than gemcitabine monotherapy. Subsequently, the PRODIGE24-CCTG PA.6 trial showed even longer survival for modified fluorouracil, folinic acid, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFIRINOX) than gemcitabine but had more restrictive eligibility criteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: After modified Wendler glottoplasty (mWG), close follow-up with laryngologist and speech-language pathologist (SLP) is thought to be essential to achieve best outcomes. This study presents a case series of patients undergoing mWG at a single institution to identify factors associated with trends in post-operative follow-up.
Methods: Retrospective review of trans women patients who underwent mWG between March 2018 and July 2023 was performed.
Objective(s): Posterior pharyngeal wall (PPW) injection is often employed to treat velopharyngeal deficiency (VPD). We sought to analyze the impact of PPW injection on severity of dysphagia and dysphonia.
Methods: Retrospective chart review was conducted of patients undergoing PPW injection from 2018 to 2023 at a tertiary laryngology center.
Objectives: This qualitative study explored patients' experiences and perceptions of the SCOPE2 trial. SCOPE2 examined radiotherapy dose escalation in patients with inoperable oesophageal cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT).
Setting: Recruitment at five clinical sites in England and Wales, UK.
Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol
October 2024
Objective: The objective of this study is to assess disparities in adherence to swallowing therapy for clinically diagnosed oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) patients.
Methods: Analysis was conducted on data from 600 patients with OD and confirmed impairments in swallowing safety and/or efficiency on a videofluoroscopic swallow study. Patients were classified based on their adherence to treatment sessions, defined as the number of swallow treatment sessions attended.
Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol)
September 2024
Barrett's oesophagus is the only known precursor to oesophageal adenocarcinoma, a cancer with very poor prognosis. The main risk factors for Barrett's oesophagus are a history of gastro-oesophageal acid reflux symptoms and obesity. Men, smokers and those with a family history are also at increased risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHere, we describe the skin mucosa microbiome of channel catfish () before and after exposure to chloramine-T trihydrate. We also describe the aquaria water microbiome after the post-treatment period. These data provide a unique baseline description of skin mucosa and aquaria water microbiome from catfish reared in research aquaria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecently, researchers have proposed an updated model of executive functions that includes relational integration, the mental ability to bind information into more complex structures. Hangover is known to disrupt other core components of executive functions, but little is known about how it influences relational integration. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how hangover influences performance on a relational integration task.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives/hypothesis: This study assessed the vocal health of performers returning to full-time performance after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and investigated how differences in voice usage, exposure to voice care professionals, and vocal pathology before and during the pandemic contributed to variability in self-perceived and instrumental vocal outcome measures.
Study Design: This was a prospective, case-control observational study conducted at a single outpatient site.
Methods: Twenty-two patients, 11 cases and 11 controls, were enrolled for the study.
Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol
April 2024
Objective: To describe the phenotypic characteristics of the epiglottis at rest and their impact on vallecular residue.
Methods: Videofluoroscopic studies (VFSS) were pooled from 2 Laryngology practices, and Image J was used to measure epiglottic anatomic features at rest. Studies were rated by the MBSImp and presence of vallecular residue following swallow of thin and puree boluses.
Background: The optimum curative approach to adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and oesophagogastric junction is unknown. We aimed to compare trimodality therapy (preoperative radiotherapy with carboplatin plus paclitaxel [CROSS regimen]) with optimum contemporaneous perioperative chemotherapy regimens (epirubicin plus cisplatin or oxaliplatin plus fluorouracil or capecitabine [a modified MAGIC regimen] before 2018 and fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel [FLOT] subsequently).
Methods: Neo-AEGIS (CTRIAL-IE 10-14) was an open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial done at 24 centres in Europe.
Objective: To compare the effectiveness of disinfection protocols utilizing a ultraviolet (UV) Smart D60 light system with Impelux™ technology with a standard Cidex ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) disinfection protocol for cleaning flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopes (FFLs).
Methods: Two hundred FFLs were tested for bacterial contamination after routine use, and another 200 FFLs were tested after disinfection with one of four methods: enzymatic detergent plus Cidex OPA (standard), enzymatic detergent plus UV Smart D60, microfiber cloth plus UV Smart D60, and nonsterile wipe plus UV Smart D60. Pre- and post-disinfection microbial burden levels and positive culture rates were compared using Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and Fisher's two-sided exact, respectively.
Objective: Simulation may be a valuable tool in training laryngology office procedures on unsedated patients. However, no studies have examined whether existing awake procedure simulators improve trainee performance in laryngology. Our objective was to evaluate the transfer validity of a previously published 3D-printed laryngeal simulator in improving percutaneous injection laryngoplasty (PIL) competency compared with conventional educational materials with a single-blinded randomized controlled trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The utility of early metabolic response assessment to guide selection of the systemic component of definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) for oesophageal cancer is uncertain.
Methods: In this multi-centre, randomised, open-label, phase II substudy of the radiotherapy dose-escalation SCOPE2 trial we evaluated the role of F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) at day 14 of cycle 1 of three-weekly induction cis/cap (cisplatin (60 mg/m)/capecitabine (625 mg/m days 1-21)) in patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) or adenocarcinoma (OAC). Non-responders, who had a less than 35% reduction in maximum standardised uptake value (SUV) from pre-treatment baseline, were randomly assigned to continue cis/cap or switch to car/pac (carboplatin AUC 5/paclitaxel 175 mg/m) for a further induction cycle, then concurrently with radiotherapy over 25 fractions.
Background: The National Oesophago-Gastric Cancer Audit (NOGCA) captures patient data from diagnosis to end of primary treatment for all patients with oesophagogastric (OG) cancer in England and Wales. This study assessed changes in patient characteristics, treatments received, and outcomes for OG cancer surgery for the period 2012-2020, and examined which factors may have led to changes in clinical outcomes over this time.
Methods: Patients diagnosed with OG cancer between April 2012 and March 2020 were included.
3D models of airway lumens were created from CT scans of 19 patients with laryngotracheal stenosis. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were completed for each, and results were compared to measured peak inspiratory flow rate, grade of lumen constriction, and measures of airway geometry. Results demonstrate flow resistance and shear stress correlate with degree of lumen constriction and absolute cross-sectional area as well as flow rate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To compare outcomes between two standard-of-care anesthesia regimens for operative laryngoscopy: general anesthesia with a neuromuscular blocking agent (NMBA) versus remifentanil and propofol (non-NMBA).
Methods: This was a prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial at a tertiary care center. Patients were randomized to either anesthesia using rocuronium (NMBA) or with remifentanil/propofol infusion alone (non-NMBA).