[Current immuno-oncology in head and neck cancer].

For many years surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy dominated the treatment in head and neck malignancies. Refinements of the particular techniques, either in surgery or in radiooncology, brought some progress. However, clinical outcome data are still not satisfying and side effects and long term toxicities are significant.

Long-term improvement of clinical symptoms after endoscopic sinus surgery in patients suffered from endocrine ophthalmopathy and orbital complications of rhinosinusitis.

Rhinosinusitis may cause serious complications, such as secondary orbital infections, resulting in expansion and erosion of process through the orbital wall. The aim is to evaluate long-term outcome of ESS in patients suffered from endocrine ophthalmopathy and orbital complications of rhinosinusitis. Thirteen patients with loss of vision, endocrine ophthalmopathy and orbital complication of rhinosinusitis were treated by ESS.

New vessel formation in peritumoral area of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the dynamic process of new vessel formation, fundamental for tumor growth and metastasis, in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: We used immunohistochemistry, confocal laser-scanning microscopy, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to study endothelial cell and concomitant pericyte development with markers CD133, CD34, VEGFR-2, CD31, vWF, and STRO-1 in tumor and peritumoral tissues of 18 patients with HNSCC.

Results: Highly compressed and structurally abnormal vessels with barely any activity of new vessel formation were found in tumor tissue, whereas the adjacent peritumoral tissue vessels showed a normal architecture with tight endothelial cell-pericyte interaction and a high activity of angiogenesis.

[Follow up in head and neck cancer].

Some principle questions rise in follow up of tumour patients: Is there a chance to detect tumour recurrence or a second primary early enough to give the patient reasonable options of cure or at least lead to a better survival? What means will be necessary to achieve this goal? Do the means justify the outcome? This paper determines and compares current regimens and strategies in the follow up of head and neck cancer patients. It stresses not only the questions stated above, but also stresses additional points of view in the follow up like speech and swallow rehabilitation, as well as social reintegration and psychological support of head and neck tumour patients. Standard follow up includes facilities for speech and swallow rehabilitation.

Quantitation of microvessel density in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck by computer-aided image analysis.

Objective: Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from a preexisting vascular network. In healthy individuals it is normally suppressed and observed only transiently during development, reproduction and wound healing. However, growth, invasion, and metastasis of most solid tumors are dependent on angiogenesis.

Differential expression pattern of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: The enzyme cyclooxygenase catalyzes the first step of the synthesis of prostanoids Cyclooxygenase has been shown to exist in two distinct isoforms: cyclooxygenase-1 is constitutively expressed as a housekeeping enzyme in most tissues whereas the inducible cyclooxygenase-2 has been reported to be involved in inflammatory processes and in the carcinogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution patterns of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 in peritumoral lymphocytic infiltrates and tumor cells of head and neck carcinoma.

Material And Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from 24 patients suffering from oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal and oral squamous cell carcinomas.

CD9 expression on lymphatic vessels in head and neck mucosa.

CD9, a member of the transmembrane 4 superfamily, is involved in cell adhesion, migration, and tumor metastasis. Little is known about its vascular expression pattern. In this study, we investigated CD9 expression on endothelial cells in the mucosa of the head and neck and compared it with vascular tumors.

Motility-related protein-1/CD9 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Motility-related protein (MRP)-1/CD9 is implicated in cell adhesion and motility and was shown to be clearly involved in tumor prognosis and angiogenesis. Elevated MRP-1/CD9 expression on tumor cells has been linked to a favorable prognosis in breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and HNSCC. Because MRP-1/CD9 is associated with angiogenesis, it might play a role in tumor angiogenesis as well.

Vascular endothelial growth factor C and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 expression in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.

Background And Methods: VEGF proteins and their receptors are involved in tumor vessel neoformation. The third VEGF receptor, VEGFR3 (flt-4) is important during both blood vessel development and lymphatic vessel formation. Because HNSCC preferentially metastasizes to regional lymph nodes, we investigated the expression of VEGFR3 and its ligand VEGF-C in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas by semiquantitative RT-PCR (4 HNSCC cells lines and 6 HNSCC specimens) and by immunohistochemistry (18 HNSCC specimens).