Comparative genomic hybridization analysis detects frequent over-representation of DNA sequences at 3q, 7p, and 8q in head and neck carcinomas.

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was used to identify chromosomal imbalances in 19 samples of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). The chromosome arms most often over-represented were 3q (48%), 8q (42%), and 7p (32%); in many cases, these changes were observed at high copy number. Other commonly over-represented sites were 1q, 2q, 6p, 6q, and 18q.

Opportunistic actinomycosis in osteoradionecrosis of the jaws in patients affected by head and neck cancer: incidence and clinical significance.

Actinomycosis is occasionally an opportunistic infection occurrence in patients with osteoradionecrosis (ORN). A retrospective study (1992-97) of 50 patients with ORN of the jaws was done to evaluate the incidence and its clinical significance in the management of ORN. Actinomycosis was diagnosed in 12% of ORN cases.

Prognostic significance of the distribution of neck node metastasis from oral carcinoma.

Background: Carcinoma of the oral cavity presents a high risk for neck metastasis, which reduces the probability of regional control and survival.

Objectives: The main objective of this study is to analyze prognostic implications of the distribution of neck metastasis in 513 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.

Patients And Methods: All patients underwent surgery from 1970-1992.

Ipsilateral neck cancer recurrences after elective supraomohyoid neck dissection.

Design: Retrospective analysis of a case series.

Setting: Referral center, private or institutional practice, hospitalized care.

Objective: To analyze the level (site) of ipsilateral neck recurrences after supraomohyoid (SOH) dissection in patients with lip, oral, and oropharyngeal cancer treated in a single institution.

Video fluoroscopic evaluation after glossectomy.

Background: The swallowing deficits that result from oral or oropharyngeal resections vary considerably depending on the site, extension of the resection, and type of reconstruction. Most patients will experience some degree of dysphagia despite the reconstructive effort. Furthermore, a glossectomy is frequently associated with voice and speech difficulties.

A proposal for the integration of immunohistochemical staining and DNA-based techniques for the determination of TP53 mutations in human carcinomas.

The p53 protein plays an important role in the control of the cell cycle and DNA repair. Mutations in the TP53 gene may be a prognostic factor for certain forms of human cancer, with specific mutation sites being associated with significantly worse prognosis, particularly for colorectal and breast cancer. Thus, standardization of accurate, rapid, and cost-effective techniques for the detection of TP53 mutations is a high priority.

Interaction between tobacco and alcohol consumption and the risk of cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract in Brazil.

The authors investigated the joint effects of tobacco and alcohol consumption on the risk of squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) using data from a hospital-based case-control study conducted in southern Brazil, 1986-1989. A total of 784 cases of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx and 1,578 non-cancer controls matched on age, sex, hospital catchment area, and period of admission were interviewed about their smoking and drinking habits and other characteristics. Using logistic regression, evidence was found for interaction between the cumulative exposures for smoking and alcohol on UADT cancer risk.

Survival and functional results of Pearson's near-total laryngectomy for larynx and pyriform sinus carcinoma.

Background: Current treatment for most T3 and T4 transglottic and pyriform sinus carcinomas is total laryngectomy or total laryngectomy with partial pharyngectomy. Voice rehabilitation usually requires the use of a tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP). Pearson's near-total laryngectomy (NTL) is an option for voice preservation in selected cases with no invasion of the interarythenoid space and limited invasion of the subglottis.

High prevalence of p16 genetic alterations in head and neck tumours.

Inactivation of the p16 gene is believed to contribute to the tumorigenic process of several neoplasms, including head and neck tumours. In the present study, DNA samples from paired tumour and adjacent normal tissue from 47 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were investigated for the occurrence of p16 genetic alterations. Single-strand conformation polymorphism and direct DNA sequence analysis led to the identification of p16 mutations in six cases (13%).

Genetic alterations in Ki-ras and Ha-ras genes in juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas and head and neck cancer.

Context: Ras gene mutations have been associated to a wide range of human solid tumors. Members of the ras gene family (Ki-ras, Ha-ras and N-ras) are structurally related and code for a protein (p21) known to play an important role in the regulation of normal signal transduction and cell growth. The frequency of ras mutations is different from one type of tumor to another, suggesting that point mutations might be carcinogen-specific.

A clinicopathologic study of 196 intraoral minor salivary gland tumours.

We present a retrospective study of 196 patients with intraoral minor salivary gland tumours, 128 malignant and 68 benign, diagnosed from 1954 to 1993 in the A. C. Camargo Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil.

Effect of smoking cessation and tobacco type on the risk of cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract in Brazil.

Tobacco smoking has long been identified as the most important risk factor for upper aero-digestive tract cancers. To investigate the effect of different tobacco types and the benefit of smoking cessation, we analyzed data from a case-control study of 784 cases of mouth, pharynx, and larynx cancers and 1,578 non-cancer controls in three metropolitan hospital areas in Brazil. Subjects were interviewed as to their smoking and drinking habits, demographics, environmental exposures, occupational history, health characteristics, and diet.

Factors influencing contralateral lymph node metastasis from oral carcinoma.

Background: An ipsilateral neck dissection is mandatory during initial treatment stages II-IV oral carcinomas. However, no consensus exists whether or not to perform an elective contralateral neck dissection.

Methods: Five hundred thirteen consecutive cases of squamous cell carcinoma (269 tongue, 135 floor of the mouth, 44 inferior gingiva, 65 retromolar trigone) were reviewed.

Use of wood stoves and risk of cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract: a case-control study.

Background: Incidence rates for cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract in Southern Brazil are among the highest in the world. A case-control study was designed to identify the main risk factors for carcinomas of mouth, pharynx, and larynx in the region. We tested the hypothesis of whether use of wood stoves is associated with these cancers.

Preoperative irradiation therapy and radical hysterectomy: prognostic value of tumor regression after initial irradiation of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Objective: To investigate the role of tumor persistence in patients submitted to irradiation therapy and radical hysterectomy.

Design: A retrospective analysis of prognostic factors.

Location: Hospital A.

Low prevalence of human papillomavirus in a geographic region with a high incidence of head and neck cancer.

Background: The main purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in patients with head and neck carcinomas from Brazil.

Materials And Methods: Forty-five patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were included in the study, from 1995 to 1996. Forty-two were male and 3 female, with age ranging from 32 to 82 years (median 61).

Relationship between dental factors and risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancer.

We examined the relationship between dental health variables and risk of upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancers in a case-control study in Southern Brazil. The study population included 717 cases of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx and 1434 controls matched on age, gender, period of admission and study site. The association with dental factors was investigated by conditional logistic regression using extensive adjustment for a priori and empirical confounders, including tobacco and alcohol consumption, diet and sociodemographic variables.

Multivariate survival analysis of 128 cases of oral cavity minor salivary gland carcinomas.

Background: Minor salivary gland carcinomas are uncommon tumors of the oral cavity. The decision regarding treatment remains controversial. The main objective of this paper is to report on the survival results of 128 patients treated in a single institution.

Prognostic factors in supraglottic carcinoma patients treated by surgery or radiotherapy.

The decision regarding treatment of supraglottic carcinoma remains controversial, despite recent advances in radiotherapy and surgical procedures. The need to evaluate the prognostic importance of demographic, clinical, pathologic, and treatment-related variables prompted this study. The patient population was of 164 consecutive cases of supraglottic carcinoma.

Analysis of MSH3 in endometrial cancers with defective DNA mismatch repair.

Objective: To clarify the origin of defective mismatch repair (MMR) in sporadic endometrial cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI), a thorough mutation analysis was performed on the human mismatch repair gene MSH3.

Methods: Twenty-eight MSI-positive endometrial cancers were investigated for mutations in the human mismatch repair gene MSH3 using single-strand conformation variant (SSCV) analysis of all 24 exons. All variants were sequenced.

Nodal metastases: predictive factors.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the upper respiratory and digestive tract has a high risk for neck metastasis, which reduces the probability of regional control and survival. We analyzed the literature and our own experience to review the possible risk factors for the occurrence of metastasis. The most significant risk factors were: tumor site and size, grade of histologic differentiation, tumor thickness (tongue and floor of mouth carcinoma), vascular embolization, and perineural infiltration.

TP53 genetic alterations in head-and-neck carcinomas from Brazil.

In this study we investigated the incidence of mutations and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the TP53 gene in DNA samples from paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue from 90 patients with untreated squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Evidence for TP53 mutations were demonstrated in 53% (48/90) of the cases analyzed. All cases were also examined for loss of heterozygosity, using a PCR-based polymorphic marker at TP53.

Surgical treatment of lung metastases of head and neck tumors.

Background: Head and neck tumors often spread to the lungs, with a variety of presentations. The ideal treatment for those patients is still controversial. Resection of lung metastases was shown to significantly influence overall survival of patients.

Prognostic factors in carcinoma of the external auditory canal.

Background: Carcinomas of the external auditory canal are rare neoplasms (< 1% of all head and neck malignant neoplasms).

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic factors in 79 patients treated in a single institution.

Patients And Methods: The disease was staged as follows: 34 patients with stage T1 to T2 tumors; 43 patients with stage T3 to T4 tumors; 2 patients with stage TX tumors; 68 patients with stage N0 tumors; and 11 patients with stage N1 tumors.

A case-matched molecular comparison of extraovarian versus primary ovarian adenocarcinoma.

Background: Extraovarian müllerian adenocarcinoma (EOM) resembles primary ovarian carcinoma (POC) both histologically and clinically, yet little is known regarding the molecular genetic characteristics of this entity. The objective of this study was to compare the expression of three molecular markers of tumor behavior in EOMs and POCs.

Methods: Forty-four patients meeting strict criteria for EOM were identified and matched to POC controls for age, stage, tumor histology and grade, cytoreductive surgery, and survival.