Treatment initiation and completion among head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients in Tanzania.

Objective: Few studies characterizing clinical outcomes of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients in sub-Saharan Africa report the proportion of patients who initiate and complete treatment, information integral to contextualizing survival outcomes. This retrospective cohort study describes HNC patients who presented to Muhimbili National Hospital and Ocean Road Cancer Institute in 2018, the highest-volume oncology tertiary referral centers in Tanzania. Logistic regression was applied to assess predictors of treatment initiation and completion.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Pembrolizumab Outcomes in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Objective: To determine the relationship between pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and 6-month progression-free survival (PFS)/2-year overall survival (OS) among patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) oral cavity cancer on pembrolizumab.

Study Design: This study was a retrospective, observational study performed at a tertiary care academic center.

Setting: Participants included patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) who began pembrolizumab treatment at the University of California, San Francisco between May 2016 and May 2022.

Oncological Outcomes of Patients With Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders.

Importance: Understanding the clinical course and malignant transformation rate of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs)-including oral leukoplakia, oral erythroplakia, oral submucous fibrosis, and oral lichen planus-is crucial for early detection and improved survival rates in patients with oral cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the progression of oral cancer from OPMDs using a large US electronic medical database.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the University of California, San Francisco's PatientExploreR database between January 1973 and March 2024.

Cigarette smoking status and COVID-19 hospitalization in the context of cannabis use: An electronic health record cohort study in northern California.

Background: Research investigating the association between cigarette smoking and COVID-19 outcomes has yielded mixed results, often overlooking cannabis use. This study examined the association between cigarette smoking and COVID-19 hospitalization with consideration of cannabis use.

Methods: We used electronic health record data from adult patients with COVID-19 (2/1/2020 to 2/3/2022) at a northern California academic medical center.

L-LOP/LOPP for the treatment of canine gastrointestinal/hepatosplenic lymphoma.

Canine gastrointestinal (GI) and hepatosplenic (HS) high-grade (large cell) lymphomas are uncommon forms of canine lymphomas, with a very poor response to chemotherapy and a very poor prognosis. Currently, there are no established effective chemotherapy protocols for canine GI/HS lymphomas. This case series aimed to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of lomustine-based protocols L-LOP (L-asparaginase, lomustine, vincristine, and prednisolone) and L-LOPP (with the addition of procarbazine) for treatment of canine GI/HS lymphomas.

Ga-FAP-2286 PET of Solid Tumors: Biodistribution, Dosimetry, and Comparison with F-FDG.

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP), expressed in the tumor microenvironment of a variety of cancers, has become a target of novel PET tracers. The purpose of this report is to evaluate the imaging characteristics of Ga-FAP-2286, present the first-to our knowledge-dosimetry analysis to date, and compare the agent with F-FDG and FAPI compounds. Patients were administered 219 ± 43 MBq of Ga-FAP-2286 and scanned after 60 min.

Rate of occult metastasis in lip squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: The rate of occult metastasis in lip cancer is poorly studied. Management of the regional nodal basin in lip cancer is thus controversial. This study sought to understand the true rate of micrometastasis in lip cancer.

The tumor microenvironment of benign and malignant salivary gland tumors.

Background: Treatment of salivary gland tumors (SGTs) remains challenging. Little is known about the immune landscape of SGTs. We aimed to characterize the tumor microenvironment in benign and malignant SGTs.

Postoperative inpatient surgical complications following head and neck microvascular free tissue transfer.

Background: Complications following head and neck microvascular free tissue transfer (MFTT) are common. Less is known about when they occur.

Method: Retrospective study of patients with primary or recurrent head and neck cancer undergoing MFTT reconstruction at a tertiary care institution.

Prognostic risk factors of buccal squamous cell carcinoma: A case-control study.

Objectives: To describe the clinicopathologic presentation of buccal squamous cell carcinoma and identify risks factors for recurrence and overall survival.

Methods: This is a retrospective case-control study of patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) treated at a single tertiary care center between 2010 and 2022. All patients with buccal subsite OCSCC treated during this time frame were included and paired with a randomly selected age and gender matched patient with non-buccal OCSCC.

A supervised machine learning model for identifying predictive factors for recommending head and neck cancer surgery.

Background: New patient referrals are often processed by practice coordinators with little-to-no medical background. Treatment delays due to incorrect referral processing, however, have detrimental consequences. Identifying variables that are associated with a higher likelihood of surgical oncological resection may improve patient referral processing and expedite the time to treatment.

Circulating tumor HPV DNA assessments after surgery for human papilloma virus-associated oropharynx carcinoma.

Purpose: To understand the utility of circulating tumor human papillomavirus DNA (ctHPVDNA) blood testing for HPV-associated oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (HPV + OPSCC) after definitive surgery.

Materials And Methods: Prospective cohort study of HPV(+)OPSCC patients with ctHPVDNA test data to assess its accuracy in detecting biopsy-confirmed disease at various post-treatment time points. Eligible patients had p16(+)/HPV(+) OPSCC and ctHPVDNA testing performed at any time pre-operatively and/or postoperatively.

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in salivary gland cancers treated with pembrolizumab.

Background: A minority of patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) salivary gland cancers (SGCs) benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), necessitating reliable biomarkers for ICI response prediction.

Methods: Retrospective observational study of R/M SGC patients treated with pembrolizumab between 2016 and 2022, with a primary outcome of 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) and secondary outcome of 2-year overall survival (OS). Univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were employed.

Treatment Modality Impact on Patient-Reported Quality of Life in Human Papilloma Virus-Associated Oropharyngeal Carcinoma.

Objective: To prospectively compare the impact of treatment modality on patient-reported quality of life (QOL) in human papillomavirus-associated oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (HPV + OPSCC).

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Academic medical center.

A prospective evaluation of neck and shoulder function following treatments of early-stage human papillomavirus-associated oropharynx cancer.

Objectives: To compare post-treatment neck and shoulder function between human papillomavirus-associated oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (HPV + OPSCC) treatments.

Design: Prospective, repeated-measures study.

Setting: Tertiary care center.

Prospective quality of life outcomes for human papillomavirus associated oropharynx cancer patients after surgery alone.

Purpose: To evaluate changes in patient-reported quality of life (QOL) to inform treatment decisions for human papillomavirus-associated oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (HPV + OPSCC).

Materials And Methods: Patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition cT0-T3 and cN0-N3 HPV + OPSCC treated with transoral robotic surgery to the primary site with neck dissection completed questionnaires prior to surgery and at three-months and one-year post-operatively. Questionnaires included four validated instruments: the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Head and Neck Module (HN35), and the Neck Dissection Impairment Index (NDII).

Dynamic CD8 T cell responses to cancer immunotherapy in human regional lymph nodes are disrupted in metastatic lymph nodes.

CD8 T cell responses are critical for anti-tumor immunity. While extensively profiled in the tumor microenvironment, recent studies in mice identified responses in lymph nodes (LNs) as essential; however, the role of LNs in human cancer patients remains unknown. We examined CD8 T cells in human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, regional LNs, and blood using mass cytometry, single-cell genomics, and multiplexed ion beam imaging.

Human Papillomavirus-Associated Head and Neck Malignancies in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: The proportion of head and neck cancers (HNCs) with human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is poorly characterized. Characterizing this has implications in staging, prognosis, resource allocation, and vaccination policies. This study aims to determine the proportion of HPV-associated HNC in SSA.

Patterns of Postoperative Trismus Following Mandibulectomy and Fibula Free Flap Reconstruction.

The factors that contribute to postoperative trismus after mandibulectomy and fibula free flap reconstruction (FFFR) are undefined. We retrospectively assessed postoperative trismus (defined as a maximum interincisal opening ≤35 mm) in 106 patients undergoing mandibulectomy with FFFR, employing logistic regression to identify risk factors associated with this sequela. The surgical indication was primary ablation in 64%, salvage for recurrence in 24%, and osteonecrosis in 12%.

Approaches to the Management of Metastatic Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma.

High rates of recurrence and distant metastasis are a foremost challenge in the management of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), occurring in approximately 40% of all ACC patients. Despite the morbidity and mortality resulting from recurrent/metastatic (R/M) disease, there are no FDA-approved systemic agents for these patients. In this review, we summarize pertinent ACC pathophysiology and its implications for different systemic treatment regimens in R/M ACC.

Longitudinal Analysis of Swallowing Displacement Kinematics After Oropharyngeal Cancer Treatment.

Background/objective: Quantitative swallowing displacement kinematics evolve in patients treated for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). We aimed to longitudinally assess these measurements and correlate them with functional swallowing outcomes.

Method: A retrospective review was conducted on patients with OPSCC treated with definitive (chemo)radiation ([C]RT) or surgery with adjuvant (chemo)radiation (S-[C]RT) who completed at least two videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS).

Relations of Current and Past Cancer with Severe Outcomes among 104,590 Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: The COVID EHR Cohort at the University of Wisconsin.

Background: There is mixed evidence about the relations of current versus past cancer with severe COVID-19 outcomes and how they vary by patient and cancer characteristics.

Methods: Electronic health record data of 104,590 adult hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were obtained from 21 United States health systems from February 2020 through September 2021. In-hospital mortality and ICU admission were predicted from current and past cancer diagnoses.