Benefits and drawbacks of videoconferencing for collaborating multidisciplinary teams in regional oncology networks: a scoping review.

Introduction: Various forms of videoconferenced collaborations exist in oncology care. In regional oncology networks, multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are essential in coordinating care in their region. There is no recent overview of the benefits and drawbacks of videoconferenced collaborations in oncology care networks.

Application of CO laser evaporation in locally advanced melanoma.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the role of CO laser evaporation in the treatment of melanoma patients with satellite or in-transit metastases.

Materials & Methods: Patients who underwent CO laser evaporation were retrospectively included between November 2002 and August 2018. The Sharplan 40C CO laser was used with a high pulse wave mode.

Addition of tumour infiltration depth and extranodal extension improves the prognostic value of the pathological TNM classification for early-stage oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Aims: In the 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging manual, tumour infiltration depth and extranodal extension are added to the pathological classification for oral squamous cell carcinoma. The currently available 8th TNM validation studies lack patients with conservative neck treatment, and changes in the classification especially affect patients with small tumours. The aim of this study was to determine the potential impact of the changes in the 8th edition pTNM classification on the prognosis and treatment strategy for oral squamous cell carcinoma in a well-defined series of pT1-T2 patients with long-term follow-up.

Dietary resilience in patients with severe COPD at the start of a pulmonary rehabilitation program.

Background: COPD may impact food-related activities, such as grocery shopping, cooking, and eating. Decreased food intake may result in an unhealthy diet, and in malnutrition, which is highly prevalent in patients with COPD. Malnutrition is known to negatively impact clinical outcome and quality of life.

Viable tumor in salvage neck dissections in head and neck cancer: Relation with initial treatment, change of lymph node size and human papillomavirus.

Objectives: To identify predictive factors for the presence of viable tumor and outcome in head and neck cancer patients who undergo therapeutic salvage neck dissections.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective analysis of 76 salvage neck dissections after radiotherapy alone (n = 22), radiotherapy in combination with carboplatin/5-fluorouracil (n = 42) or with cetuximab (n = 12).

Results: Viable tumor was detected in 41% of all neck dissections.

Functional rehabilitation in advanced intraoral cancer.

Unlabelled: Modern treatment of advanced intraoral cancer involves multidisciplinary teams with use of complicated reconstructive techniques to provide improved survival with optimal rehabilitation. Mastication is an important part of this process, and it can be severely impaired by tumor ablation. Whether flap reconstruction is a determinant factor in dental rehabilitation is still in debate.

Phosphorylated FADD is not prognostic for local control in T1-T2 supraglottic laryngeal carcinoma treated with radiotherapy.

Objective: The Fas-Associated Death Domain (FADD) gene is located in the chromosome 11q13-region and frequently is amplified in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Expression of FADD and its phosphorylated isoform (pFADD) have been associated with aggressive tumor growth, lymph node metastasis, and overall survival. Previously, we demonstrated that pFADD expression was related to a significantly improved local control in early stage (tumor [T]1 to T2) glottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).

Lymphatic drainage patterns of oral maxillary tumors: Approachable locations of sentinel lymph nodes mainly at the cervical neck level.

Background: There is debate if the lymphatic drainage pattern of oral maxillary cancer is to the retropharyngeal lymph nodes or to the cervical lymph nodes. Insight in drainage patterns is important for the indication for neck treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify the lymphatic drainage pattern of oral maxillary cancer via preoperative lymphoscintigraphy.

Predictors for trismus in patients receiving radiotherapy.

Background: Trismus, a restricted mouth opening in head and neck cancer patients may be caused by tumor infiltration in masticatory muscles, radiation-induced fibrosis or scarring after surgery. It may impede oral functioning severely. The aims of our study were to determine: (1) the incidence of trismus at various time points; and (2) the patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics that predict the development of trismus after radiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients using a large database (n = 641).

Management of the clinically N0 neck in squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary alveolus and hard palate.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate active surveillance strategy in the clinically negative neck in maxillary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Methods: One hundred fourteen consecutive patients diagnosed with oral maxillary SCC were analyzed retrospectively from 3 centers in The Netherlands. Analysis parameters included regional disease-free survival of N0 patients stratified for T classification, elective radiotherapy (RT) of the neck; and overall survival of the whole cohort, stratified by N classification; salvage neck surgery rates.

FGFR Family Members Protein Expression as Prognostic Markers in Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Introduction: Fibroblast growth factor receptor family member proteins (FGFR1-4) have been identified as promising novel therapeutic targets and prognostic markers in a wide spectrum of solid tumors. The present study investigates the expression and prognostic value of four FGFR family member proteins in a large multicenter oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) cohort.

Methods: Protein expression of FGFR1-4 was determined by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays containing 951 formalin-fixed paraffin embedded OCSCC and OPSCC tissues from the University Medical Center Utrecht and University Medical Center Groningen.

Trends in oral cavity cancer incidence, mortality, survival and treatment in the Netherlands.

Information on epidemiology is essential to evaluate care for the growing group of oral cancer patients. We investigated trends in incidence, mortality and relative survival rates for oral cavity cancer (OCC) and its subsites in the Netherlands from 1991 to 2010, and relate these to changes in stage and treatment. Patient (age, sex), tumour (subsite, stage) and treatment characteristics of patients diagnosed with OCC (ICD-O-3: C02-C06) in 1991-2010 were extracted from the Netherlands Cancer Registry.

Dynasplint Trismus System exercises for trismus secondary to head and neck cancer: a prospective explorative study.

Purpose: The Dynasplint Trismus System (DTS) can be used to treat trismus secondary to head and neck cancer. We conducted a prospective study with the following aims: (1) to determine the effects of DTS exercises on changes in mouth opening, pain, mandibular function, quality of life (QoL), and symptomatology and (2) to analyze the patients' perception on DTS exercises, including user satisfaction, experiences, comfort, and compliance.

Methods: The patients were instructed to exercise with the DTS for at least 16 weeks.

Content validity across methods of malnutrition assessment in patients with cancer is limited.

Objective: To identify malnutrition assessment methods in cancer patients and assess their content validity based on internationally accepted definitions for malnutrition.

Study Design And Setting: Systematic review of studies in cancer patients that operationalized malnutrition as a variable, published since 1998. Eleven key concepts, within the three domains reflected by the malnutrition definitions acknowledged by European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN): A: nutrient balance; B: changes in body shape, body area and body composition; and C: function, were used to classify content validity of methods to assess malnutrition.

Exercise therapy for trismus secondary to head and neck cancer: A systematic review.

Background: Effects of exercise therapy for trismus secondary to head and neck cancer have not been reviewed systematically since 2004.

Methods: Four databases were searched. The quality of observational studies and randomized controlled trials was assessed.

Accuracy of secondary maxillofacial reconstruction with prefabricated fibula grafts using 3D planning and guided reconstruction.

Background: We compared the pre-operative 3D-surgical plan with the surgical outcome of complex two-stage secondary reconstruction of maxillofacial defects using inserted implants in the prefabricated fibula graft.

Methods: Eleven reconstructions of maxillofacial defects with prefabricated fibulas were performed using a 3D virtual planning. Accuracy of placement of the fibula grafts and dental implants was compared to pre-operative 3D virtual plans by superimposing pre-operative and post-operative CT-scans: we first superimposed the CT-scans on the antagonist jaw, to represent the outcome of occlusion, and then superimposed on the planned fibula segments.

Swallowing sparing intensity modulated radiotherapy (SW-IMRT) in head and neck cancer: Clinical validation according to the model-based approach.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to clinically validate a multivariable normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model for grade 2-4 swallowing dysfunction at 6months after radiotherapy or chemoradiation (SWALM6) in head and neck cancer patients treated with swallowing sparing intensity modulated radiotherapy (SW-IMRT) and to test if SW-IMRT resulted in a reduction of the prevalence of SWALM6.

Materials And Methods: The primary endpoint was SWALM6. For all 186 patients, a standard IMRT (parotid sparing) and a SW-IMRT plan (additional constraints for swallowing organs at risk) was created.

Identification and validation of WISP1 as an epigenetic regulator of metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is the most important prognostic factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. However, in approximately one third of OSCC patients nodal metastases remain undetected, and thus are not adequately treated. Therefore, clinical assessment of LN metastasis needs to be improved.

Patterns of long-term swallowing dysfunction after definitive radiotherapy or chemoradiation.

Objectives: To identify patterns of long-term, radiation-induced swallowing dysfunction after definitive radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy (RT or CHRT) and to determine which factors may explain these patterns over time.

Material And Methods: The study population consisted of 238 consecutive head and neck cancer patients treated with RT or CHRT. The primary endpoint was ⩾grade 2 swallowing dysfunction at 6, 12, 18 and 24months after treatment.

Integration of oncologic margins in three-dimensional virtual planning for head and neck surgery, including a validation of the software pathway.

Purpose: Three-dimensional (3D) virtual planning of reconstructive surgery, after resection, is a frequently used method for improving accuracy and predictability. However, when applied to malignant cases, the planning of the oncologic resection margins is difficult due to visualisation of tumours in the current 3D planning. Embedding tumour delineation on a magnetic resonance image, similar to the routinely performed radiotherapeutic contouring of tumours, is expected to provide better margin planning.

Reproducibility and prognostic value of pattern of invasion scoring in low-stage oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Aims: To evaluate and compare the prognostic value and reproducibility of different methods of pattern of invasion scoring in oral squamous cell carcinomas. The additional prognostic value to established histopathological prognostic factors was also analysed.

Methods And Results: The study group was confined to 211 previously untreated patients who underwent surgery for low-stage oral squamous cell carcinoma between 1997 and 2008.

Accuracy of fibula reconstruction using patient-specific CAD/CAM reconstruction plates and dental implants: A new modality for functional reconstruction of mandibular defects.

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the accuracy of mandibular reconstruction using patient-specific computer-aided designed and computer-aided manufactured (CAD/CAM) reconstruction plates as a guide to place fibula grafts and dental implants in a one-stage procedure using pre-operative 3D virtual planning.

Methods: Seven consecutive patients were analyzed retrospectively, the 3D accuracy of placement of the fibula grafts and dental implants was compared to the virtual plan.

Results: Six out of seven flaps survived for an average follow-up time of 9.

Acute symptoms during the course of head and neck radiotherapy or chemoradiation are strong predictors of late dysphagia.

Purpose: To determine if acute symptoms during definitive radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiation (CHRT) are prognostic factors for late dysphagia in head and neck cancer (HNC).

Material And Methods: This prospective cohort study consisted of 260 HNC patients who received definitive RT or CHRT. The primary endpoint was grade 2-4 swallowing dysfunction at 6 months after completing RT (SWALM6).

Development of a multivariable normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model for tube feeding dependence after curative radiotherapy/chemo-radiotherapy in head and neck cancer.

Background And Purpose: Curative radiotherapy/chemo-radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (HNC) may result in severe acute and late side effects, including tube feeding dependence. The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to develop a multivariable normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model for tube feeding dependence 6 months (TUBEM6) after definitive radiotherapy, radiotherapy plus cetuximab or concurrent chemoradiation based on pre-treatment and treatment characteristics.

Materials And Methods: The study included 355 patients with HNC.