A Reappraisal of Definitive Chemoradiotherapy for Older Adults With Advanced Head and Neck Cancer.

Background/aim: Definitive treatment for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LAHNSCC) is often compromised in older adults due to concerns about potential treatment toxicity intolerance. We reviewed our institutional experience with definitive management of older adults with LAHNSCC.

Patients And Methods: From our Institutional Review Board-approved registry, we identified patients aged >60 years with stage III-IV, M0 LAHNSCC (seventh/earlier editions of the American Joint Committee on Cancer classification) treated with definitive radiotherapy from 1993-2019.

Prognostic value of computed tomography scan detection of cartilage invasion in advanced laryngeal cancer treated with primary total laryngectomy.

Background: We sought to determine whether detection of cartilage invasion (CI) by computed tomography predicts oncologic outcomes after primary total laryngectomy.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study comparing oncologic outcomes between radiologic versus pathologic diagnosis.

Results: Assessment of clear CI versus gestalt CI resulted in 84% versus 48% specificity, 90.

Primary Total Laryngectomy versus Organ Preservation for Locally Advanced T3/T4a Laryngeal Cancer.

Objective: Organ preservation (OP) treatment for advanced laryngeal cancer has increased compared to primary total laryngectomy. Our study compares oncologic and functional outcomes between these approaches.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

A phase I/II trial of concurrent immunotherapy with chemoradiation in locally advanced larynx cancer.

Objectives: Cisplatin-based chemoradiation is an established organ-preserving strategy for locally advanced laryngeal cancer, but long-term survival remains suboptimal. Immunotherapy has been studied in the metastatic and unresectable recurrent settings. However, additional data are needed to assess its role in organ preservation for locally advanced laryngeal cancer.

An Imaging Biomarker of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes to Risk-Stratify Patients With HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has excellent control rates compared to nonvirally associated OPSCC. Multiple trials are actively testing whether de-escalation of treatment intensity for these patients can maintain oncologic equipoise while reducing treatment-related toxicity. We have developed OP-TIL, a biomarker that characterizes the spatial interplay between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and surrounding cells in histology images.

Outcomes of Post-Operative Treatment with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in High-Risk Resected Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OCSCC): A Multi-Institutional Collaboration.

Adjuvant chemoradiation (CRT), with high-dose cisplatin remains standard treatment for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) with high-risk pathologic features. We evaluated outcomes associated with different cisplatin dosing and schedules, concurrent with radiation (RT), and the effect of cumulative dosing of cisplatin. An IRB-approved collaborative database of patients (pts) with primary OCSCC (Stage I-IVB AJCC 7th edition) treated with primary surgical resection between January 2005 and January 2015, with or without adjuvant therapy, was established from six academic institutions.

Computerized tumor multinucleation index (MuNI) is prognostic in p16+ oropharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUNDPatients with p16+ oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) are potentially cured with definitive treatment. However, there are currently no reliable biomarkers of treatment failure for p16+ OPSCC. Pathologist-based visual assessment of tumor cell multinucleation (MN) has been shown to be independently prognostic of disease-free survival (DFS) in p16+ OPSCC.

Failure rate in the untreated contralateral node negative neck of small lateralized oral cavity cancers: A multi-institutional collaborative study.

Objectives: The importance of treating the bilateral neck in lateralized small oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCC) is unclear. We sought to define the incidence and predictors of contralateral neck failure (CLF) in patients who underwent unilateral treatment.

Materials And Methods: We performed a multi-institutional retrospective study of patients with pathologic T1-T2 (AJCC 7th edition) OCC with clinically node negative contralateral neck who underwent unilateral treatment with primary surgical resection ± adjuvant radiotherapy between 2005 and 2015.

Disease Progression in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients With Satellitosis and In-transit Metastasis.

Background/aim: Satellitosis/in-transit metastasis (S-ITM) has prognostic value in melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma, but is not incorporated into cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) staging.

Patients And Methods: From our IRB-approved registry, patients with high-risk cSCC, including patients with S-ITM, were identified. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate (MVA) analyses were performed to compare disease progression (DP) and overall survival (OS).

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.

Locoregional and distant recurrence for HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer using AJCC 8 staging.

Introduction: The objective of this study is to evaluate locoregional and distant failure for human papillomavirus-associated (HPV+) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) using American Joint Committee on Cancer eighth edition (AJCC 8) staging.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 457 patients with HPV + OPSCC, treated with platinum-based chemoradiation from 2002 to 2018, followed for a median of 4.3 years.

Evaluating compliance with process-related quality metrics and survival in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: Multi-institutional oral cavity collaboration study.

Background: Process-related measures have been proposed as quality metrics in head and neck cancer care. A recent single-institution study identified four key metrics associated with increased survival. This study sought to validate the association of these quality metrics with survival in a multi-institutional cohort.

Detection and Oncologic Outcomes of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Origin.

Background/aim: To assess factors that predict detection of tumors and oncologic outcomes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary (SCCUP).

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study at a single tertiary care institution.

Results: The primary site was detected at examination under anesthesia (EUA) in 92 (51.

Head and Neck Cancers, Version 2.2020, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Treatment is complex for patients with head and neck (H&N) cancers with specific site of disease, stage, and pathologic findings guiding treatment decision-making. Treatment planning for H&N cancers involves a multidisciplinary team of experts. This article describes supportive care recommendations in the NCCN Guidelines for Head and Neck Cancers, as well as the rationale supporting a new section on imaging recommendations for patients with H&N cancers.

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.

Impact of routine surveillance imaging on detecting recurrence in human papillomavirus associated oropharyngeal cancer.

Objectives: This study examines the utility of surveillance imaging in detecting locoregional failures (LRF), distant failures (DF) and second primary tumors (SPT) in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) associated oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Methods And Materials: An institutional database identified 225 patients with biopsy proven, non- metastatic HPV+ OPC treated with definitive CRT between 2004 and 2015, whose initial post-treatment imaging was negative for disease recurrence (DR). Two groups were defined: patients with <2 scans/year Group 1 and patients with ≥2 scans/year Group 2.

Chemotherapy in the definitive management of oral cancers: Where do we stand today?

The treatment of locally advanced oral cavity cancer is often multimodal, involving surgical resection, radiotherapy (RT), and chemotherapy. Systemic therapy is the mainstay of treatment for recurrent/metastatic disease. While the concurrent use of cisplatin with post-operative RT is well established in patients with high risk features of extranodal extension and/or positive surgical margins following resection, the role of chemotherapy in other curative settings is not clear.

Impact of active smoking on outcomes in HPV+ oropharyngeal cancer.

Background: The role of smoking among patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is unclear.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients with HPV(+) OPSCC from 2001 to 2015 at a tertiary-care institution was conducted. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS).

Tumor Volume Useful Beyond Classic Criteria in Selecting Larynx Cancers For Preservation Therapy.

Objective: To investigate the association between tumor volume and locoregional failure (LRF) after concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) for locally advanced larynx cancer (LC).

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study from 2009 to 2014 identified from an institutional review board-approved registry. Fifty-nine of 68 patients with locally advanced larynx cancer treated with definitive CCRT who had available imaging for review were identified.

The prognostic impact of level I lymph node involvement in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: We investigated the impact of level I lymph node involvement (LNI) on survival for patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).

Methods: We performed a cohort study of patients with OPSCC who underwent resection with known human papillomavirus (HPV) status in the National Cancer Database (2010-2014).

Results: Among 5591 patients with OPSCC, 599 (10.

Role of Treatment Deintensification in the Management of p16+ Oropharyngeal Cancer: ASCO Provisional Clinical Opinion.

Purpose: An ASCO provisional clinical opinion offers timely clinical direction to ASCO's membership after publication or presentation of potentially practice-changing data from major studies. This provisional clinical opinion addresses the role of treatment deintensification in the management of p16+ oropharyngeal cancer (OPC).

Clinical Context: For patients with p16+ OPC, current treatment approaches are well established.

Clinical Factors Associated With Cost in Head and Neck Cancer: Implications for a Bundled Payment Model.

Purpose: To determine which factors influence cost in head and neck cancer (HNC) to inform the development of a bundled payment model (BPM).

Methods: Patients with stages 0 to IVB (by American Joint Commission on Cancer, 7th edition) HNC of various sites and histology treated definitively at a single tertiary care center during 2013 were included. Clinical variables and direct cost data were obtained, and their associations were investigated using χ, , Wilcoxon rank sum, and analysis of variance testing.

Low-Dose vs. High-Dose Cisplatin: Lessons Learned From 59 Chemoradiotherapy Trials in Head and Neck Cancer.

In locally advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (LA-SCCHN), concurrent chemoradiotherapy is an integral part of multimodality management both in the adjuvant and in the definitive settings. Although de-intensification strategies have been propelled to the forefront of clinical research in human papillomavirus (HPV) positive oropharyngeal cancer, three cycles of 100 mg/m cisplatin given every 3 weeks concurrently with conventionally fractionated external beam radiotherapy represent a cost-effective and globally accessible treatment option for the majority of LA-SCCHN cases. Based on four large randomized trials, this regimen has become the non-surgical standard of care for cisplatin-eligible patients.