Feasibility of accelerated image-guided high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy with inverse planning simulated annealing (IPSA-HDRBT) for post-operative treatment of pathologically node-negative squamous cell carcinomas of the oral tongue.

Purpose: Inverse planning simulated annealing (IPSA) produces highly conformal dose distributions and quick optimizations for high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (HDRBT). We report our dosimetry and overall outcomes using this approach for the accelerated post-operative treatment of pathologically node-negative squamous cell carcinomas of the oral tongue (OTSCC) with high risk of local recurrence.

Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed pN0 OTSCC treated with partial glossectomy, neck dissection, and post-operative HDRBT alone from 2007 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed.

The utility of high-risk human papillomavirus in situ hybridization in cytology cell block material from cystic head and neck lesions.

Background: Human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-OPSCC) presents frequently as metastasis in a neck lymph node that may be cystic or necrotic. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies are often first-line diagnostic procedures. p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a surrogate marker for high-risk HPV (hrHPV) infection but can be challenging to interpret.

Leveraging Technology for Remote Learning in the Era of COVID-19 and Social Distancing.

The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly disrupted traditional modes of operation in health care and education. In March 2020, institutions in the United States began to implement a range of policies to discourage direct contact and encourage social distancing. These measures have placed us in an unprecedented position where education can no longer occur at close quarters-most notably, around a multiheaded microscope-but must instead continue at a distance.

The diagnostic utility of next-generation sequencing on FNA biopsies of melanocytic uveal lesions.

Background: Uveal melanoma is highly aggressive, and overall prognosis depends on mutation status. Fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) play an important role in obtaining fresh tissue for cytologic diagnosis and molecular studies. It has been suggested that, although FNAB usually provides high diagnostic accuracy, there may be limited cellularity, which may compromise diagnostic potential for molecular studies.

Xanthogranuloma in the heavily irradiated low neck in a patient with head and neck cancer.

Background: Head and neck cancer is often managed with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, and skin toxicity is not uncommon. Xanthogranuloma is a pathological finding resulting from an inflammatory reaction that has not been previously reported following head and neck radiation therapy.

Case Presentation: A patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, treated with definitive chemoradiation and hyperthermia, presented at eight-month follow-up with an in-field cutaneous lesion in the low neck, initially concerning for recurrent tumor.

A case series of patients with HER2-overexpressed primary metastatic gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) is associated with an aggressive metastatic phenotype in patients with breast cancer but its prognostic impact is not well-characterized in gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma.

Patients And Methods: This is a retrospective series of three cases of HER2-positive gastroesophageal cancer.

Results: In this case series, we describe three patients presenting with widespread metastatic disease prior to development of symptoms from the primary tumor.

Association of tumor morphology with mismatch-repair protein status in older endometrial cancer patients: implications for universal versus selective screening strategies for Lynch syndrome.

Although there is consensus on the cost-effectiveness of a universal approach of screening all colorectal cancer patients for Lynch syndrome (LS) using mismatch-repair (MMR) protein immunohistochemistry (IHC) and/or microsatellite instability (MSI) testing, the question of universal versus selective screening of endometrial cancer patients remains to be resolved. We have prospectively implemented a selective screening algorithm for newly diagnosed endometrial cancer patients, triggered by patient age 50 years or younger, personal/family cancer pedigree that meets Bethesda guideline criteria, and/or presence of MMR-associated tumor morphology. Four-protein MMR IHC and MSI testing were performed if any of the criteria were met.