Role of SAMITAL in the Prevention and Treatment of Chemo-Radiotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis in Head and Neck Carcinoma: A Phase 2, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial (ROSAM).

Background: In patients affected by head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, the onset of severe oral mucositis is a decisive factor in completing concurrent chemo-radiotherapy, and few interventions have demonstrated a modest benefit. The primary aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the role of SAMITAL in reducing the incidence of severe mucositis induced by concurrent chemo-radiotherapy; the secondary aims were the tolerability and patient-reported quality of life measures.

Methods: Patients were randomized to receive SAMITAL granules for oral suspension of 20 mL, four-time daily or matching placebo in a 1:1 fashion using a stratified-block randomization scheme by disease site and type of chemotherapy.

Cortactin and phosphorylated cortactin tyr and tyr expression in supraglottic laryngeal carcinomas and lymph node metastases.

Background: The most important adverse prognostic factor for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the presence of cervical lymph node metastases. The supraglottic area of the larynx is richly supplied with lymphatics, and 25%-75% of supraglottic carcinomas metastasize in neck lymph nodes. Cortactin is a multidomain protein related to actin cytoskeleton regulation, podosome and lamellipodia formation, integrin signaling, axon guidance and extracellular matrix degradation.

Relaxin-2 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: When advanced, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) may involve adjacent non-epithelial structures, and the prognosis is worse for bone invasion. Human relaxin-2 is a peptide hormone that has recently been associated with cancer. It can induce human osteoclast differentiation and activation, suggesting a role in tumor-driven osteolysis.

A critical look at persistent problems in the diagnosis, staging and treatment of temporal bone carcinoma.

Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (TBSCC) is an uncommon malignancy with a distinctly poor prognosis in advanced cases. There is still much controversy surrounding the rational diagnostic/therapeutic approach to TBSCC. Diagnostic differences are due mainly to: the small number of cases reported (even in the largest available series); the inappropriate histological heterogeneity of several case series; the lack of an internationally-accepted staging system for TBSCC; the frequent absence of adequate radiological imaging to enable a malignancy's local, regional and distant extension to be studied in detail; and a non-standardized approach to final histological assessment of the surgical margins.

Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma: analyzing prognosis with univariate and multivariate models.

Objectives/hypothesis: Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncommon malignancy accounting for less than 0.2% of head and neck cancers. Despite advances in its early diagnosis, skull base microsurgery, radiotherapy, and integrated treatments, prognosis in advanced SCCs remains dismal.

Expression of the tumour-suppressor maspin in temporal bone carcinoma.

Aims: Although it accounts for fewer than 0.2% of all head and neck tumours, temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis in advanced cases. Novel therapeutic strategies should be developed focusing on specific targeted therapies.