Planned Dental Extractions After Radiation Therapy.

Importance: Nonrestorable teeth are recommended to be extracted prior to radiation therapy (RT). Occasionally, preradiation extractions introduce unacceptable delays in treatment initiation. Planned dental extractions immediately postradiation presents an alternative strategy, though outcomes are uncertain.

Weekly Versus Bolus Cisplatin Concurrent With Definitive Radiation Therapy for Squamous Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: The schedule of cisplatin concurrent with definitive radiation for squamous carcinoma of the head and neck remains controversial. Most institutions deliver either a high-dose "bolus" schedule once every 3 weeks or a low-dose weekly schedule. We compared these 2 schedules via a simplified network meta-analysis with a common comparator.

Radiation therapy for cT1-2 carcinoma of the palatine tonsil diagnosed via a simple tonsillectomy: Dosimetry and patterns of care in the IMRT era.

Objective: Small carcinomas of the palatine tonsil are often diagnosed via simple tonsillectomy, a maneuver with non-therapeutic intent. Herein, practice patterns for this unique situation are evaluated.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective review was performed across 10 facilities to identify patients with cT1-2 squamous carcinomas of the tonsil diagnosed by simple tonsillectomy between 2010 and 2018.

Defining targets to improve care delivery for T4 larynx squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: United States oncology trends consistently demonstrate that nearly half of T4a larynx carcinoma patients are treated with larynx preservation, despite national guidelines favoring laryngectomy. This study identifies clinical decision-making drivers and defines patient subsets that should become targets for care improvement.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with cT4 squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx from US National Cancer Database 2005-2016.

Survivorship Care Plans Improve the Identification of Post-radiation Hypothyroidism After Head and Neck Cancer Treatment.

Background/aim: Survivorship care programs (SCPs) educate patients on post-treatment side-effects, which may lead to earlier identification and mitigation of their impact. This study assessed the impact of SCP on identification and management of post-treatment hypothyroidism in a head and neck cancer population and evaluated socio-demographic factors in the effectiveness of SCPs.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation therapy between January 2011 and January 2019 at a large community cancer institution.

Identifying an oligometastatic phenotype in HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer: Implications for clinical trial design.

Objectives: Patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) associated squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (SCC-OP) have improved overall survival (OS) after distant metastasis (DM) compared to HPV negative patients. These patients may be appropriate candidates for enrollment on clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of metastasis-directed therapy (MDT). This study seeks to identify prognostic factors associated with OS after DM, which could serve as enrollment criteria for such trials.

Rethinking the 10-pack-year rule for favorable human papillomavirus-associated oropharynx carcinoma: A multi-institution analysis.

Background: De-intensified treatment strategies for early human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) oropharynx cancer (OPC) rely on selecting patients with an excellent prognosis. The criterion for enrollment in current de-intensification trials is ≤10 pack-years. More nuance to the pack-year criteria may expand enrollment, improve patient outcomes, and prevent overtreatment.

Airway management after maxillectomy with free flap reconstruction.

Background: Maxillectomy defects require complex 3-dimensional reconstructions often best suited to microvascular free tissue transfer. Postoperative airway management during this procedure has little discussion in the literature and is often dictated by surgical dogma. The purpose of this article was to review our experience in order to evaluate the effect of airway management on perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing maxillectomy with free flap reconstruction.

Polyps: linear and volumetric measurement at CT colonography.

Purpose: To retrospectively determine which of several computed tomographic (CT) colonography-based polyp measurements is most compatible with the linear measurement at optical colonoscopy and which is best for assessing change in polyp size.

Materials And Methods: This HIPAA-compliant study had institutional review board approval; informed consent was obtained. Prone and supine CT colonography with same-day optical colonoscopy was performed in 216 patients (147 men and 69 women; age range, 46-79 years; mean age, 59.