Description of a New miRNA Signature for the Surgical Management of Thyroid Nodules.

Background: The diagnosis of malignant thyroid nodules is mainly based on the fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). To improve the detection of malignant nodules, different molecular tests have been developed. We present a new molecular signature based on altered miRNA expressions and specific mutations.

Effect of radiation therapy on lymph node fluorescence in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after intravenous injection of indocyanine green: a prospective evaluation.

Background: Indocyanine green (ICG)-guided surgery has proven effective in the identification of neoplastic tissues. The effect of radiation therapy (RT) on lymph node fluorescence after intravenous injection of ICG has not been addressed yet. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of RT on node fluorescence during neck dissection in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Acoustic Analysis of Voluntary Coughs, Throat Clearings, and Induced Reflexive Coughs in a Healthy Population.

Cough efficacy is considered a reliable predictor of the aspiration risk in head and neck cancer patients with radiation-associated dysphagia. Currently, coughing is assessed perceptually or aerodynamically. The goal of our research is to develop methods of acoustic cough analysis.

Patient-reported outcomes in terms of swallowing and quality of life after prophylactic versus reactive percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement in advanced oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with definitive chemo-radiotherapy: Swall PEG study.

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is often used to provide nutritional support in locally advanced head and neck cancer patients undergoing multimodality treatment. However, there is little published data on the impact of prophylactic versus reactive PEG. PEG placement may affect swallowing-related physiology, function, and quality of life.

Salvage Partial Laryngectomy after Failed Radiotherapy: Oncological and Functional Outcomes.

Objective: To investigate oncological and functional outcomes in patients treated with salvage partial laryngectomy (SPL) after failed radio/chemotherapy.

Study Design: Retrospective multicenter chart review.

Methods: Medical records of patients treated with SPL from January 1998 to January 2018 in two University Medical centers were retrieved.

The effect of salivary bypass tube use on the prevention of pharyngo-cutaneous fistulas after total laryngectomy.

Introduction: The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the efficacy of Salivary Bypass Tube (SBT) for preventing pharyngo-cutaneous fistula (PCF) in a recent cohort of patients who underwent primary and salvage total laryngectomy (TL).

Methods: A consecutive series of 133 patients who underwent total laryngectomy between 1997 and 2019 was reviewed. The incidence of PCF was compared between patients who did not receive SBT (nSBT group; n = 55) and those preventively receiving SBT (SBT group; n = 78) in both primary and salvage TL.

Prognostic Significance of a Scoring System Combining p16, Smoking, and Drinking Status in a Series of 131 Patients with Oropharyngeal Cancers.

Background: Tobacco and alcohol are two main risk factors associated with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Studies showed that human papillomavirus (HPV) plays a role in the etiology of this cancer. HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients present in general a better response to conventional therapy and better overall survival (OS).

Prophylactic gastrostomy in locally advanced head and neck cancer: results of a national survey among radiation oncologists.

Background: Nutritional complications in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer (LA-HNC) treated by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) often lead to placement of a prophylactic gastrostomy (PG) tube, while indication lacks harmonization. Our aim was to explore the current PG tube utilization among Belgian radiation oncology centers.

Methods: A survey was distributed to all 24 Belgian Radiation oncology departments, with questions about the number of patient treated per year, whether the PG indication is discussed at the multidisciplinary board, placement technique, time of starting nutrition and removal, its impact on swallowing function and importance of clinical factors.

Assessment of cough in head and neck cancer patients at risk for dysphagia-An overview.

Background: This literature review explores the terminology, the neurophysiology, and the assessment of cough in general, in the framework of dysphagia and regarding head and neck cancer patients at risk for dysphagia. In the dysphagic population, cough is currently assessed perceptually during a clinical swallowing evaluation or aerodynamically.

Recent Findings: Recent findings have shown intra and inter-rater disagreements regarding perceptual scoring of cough.

Benign tumors of the parotid gland: a retrospective study of 339 patients.

Aim: Among 339 patients operated for benign tumor of the parotid gland: the recurrences and the postoperative complications rates were compared WITH those published in literature.

Materials And Methods: About 339 patients operated: 274 primarily and 65 for recurrence or residual tumor.

Variables: sex, age, surgical techniques, pre- or postoperative radiotherapy, histology, size and localization of the tumors, disease free intervals, recurrences and postoperative complications.

Near infrared fluorescent imaging after intravenous injection of indocyanine green during neck dissection in patients with head and neck cancer: A feasibility study.

Background: Indocyanine green (ICG) has not been studied during therapeutic lymph node dissections after intravenous injection. The purpose of this study was to explore the distribution of ICG in lymphatic nodes during neck dissection.

Methods: Eleven patients requiring neck dissection with or without resection of the primary lesion were included.

Follow-up strategies in head and neck cancer other than upper aerodigestive tract squamous cell carcinoma.

Post-therapy follow-up for patients with head and neck cancer other than upper aerodigestive tract squamous cell carcinoma should meet several objectives: to detect both local, regional or distant recurrences, to evaluate acute and long-term treatment-related side effects, to guide the rehabilitation process, and to provide psychosocial support when needed. To our knowledge, there are no published reports in the literature dedicated to the follow-up of patients with these tumours. A comprehensive literature search for post-treatment follow-up strategies spanning from 1980 to 2012 was performed on several databases.

Post-therapeutic surveillance strategies in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The management of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas does not end with the completion of ablative therapy. The oncologic objectives of post-treatment follow-up are to detect recurrences and second primary tumors; beyond that, follow-up should evaluate acute and chronic treatment-related side effects, guide the rehabilitation process, alleviate functional loss, manage pain, restore nutritional status and assess psychosocial factors. In this structured review, we address the questions of timing and the tools required to achieve a complete and coherent routine surveillance.

Parathyroid carcinoma: a review with three illustrative cases.

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare disease, which accounts for less than 1% of all case of primary hyperparathyroidism and is usually not detected until the time of surgery or thereafter. For most patients preoperative staging is not available. A radical excision remains the standard management; the place of adjuvant radiotherapy is not well established yet.

Near total thyroidectomy is an optimal treatment for graves' disease.

Surgical management of Graves' disease is still debated. We report our current experience with thyroidectomy for Graves' disease at a tertiary center. A retrospective database of 132 patients who underwent surgery for Graves' disease from January 1985 to December 2008 was collected.

[Thyroid cancers].

During the last two decades, the incidence of thyroid cancer has doubled, mainly do to the early detection of small papillary tumors. However, mortality stayed stable (0.05/100.

Acute pulmonary embolism: a current surgical approach.

Acute massive pulmonary embolism has a high mortality rate despite advances in diagnosis and therapy. Thrombolysis and catheter embolectomy have recently shown various degrees of failure and adverse effect. Surgical embolectomy has now been liberalised for haemodynamic stable patients with right ventricular dysfunction.

Successful repair of late left ventricular rupture after mitral valve replacement.

Ventricular rupture is a dreaded complication of mitral valve replacement. Herein are reported two cases of late left ventricular rupture following mitral valve replacement at 10 and 48 days, respectively, after the initial surgery. Both ventricular ruptures were successfully repaired, one through an internal and one an external approach.