Everolimus downregulates STAT3/HIF-1α/VEGF pathway to inhibit angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in mutant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

mutant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients exhibit poor clinical outcomes with 50-60% recurrence rates in advanced stage patients. In a recent phase II clinical trial, adjuvant therapy with everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) significantly increased 2-year progression-free survival in p53 mutated patients. TP53-driven mTOR activation in solid malignancies causes upregulation of HIF-1α and its target, downstream effector VEGF, by activating STAT3 cell signaling pathway.

Assessment of Facial Injury by "Slock" in Incarcerated Patients.

A "slock" is a padlock in a sock used as a weapon in correctional facilities to induce trauma. This assessment examined the prevalence, pattern, and degree of slock- and padlock-induced facial fractures. This quality assessment initiative was performed through retrospective analysis of 435 incarcerated patients treated surgically for facial fractures at an academic medical center from 2011 to 2019.

A Randomized Multi-institutional Phase II Trial of Everolimus as Adjuvant Therapy in Patients with Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck.

Purpose: Investigate whether adjuvant everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, improves progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and provide outcomes related to correlative biological factors associated with disease control.

Patients And Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind phase II trial of patients with advanced-stage HNSCC from 13 institutions who were confirmed disease-free post-definitive therapy and enrolled between December 2010 and March 2015. Patients received adjuvant everolimus or placebo daily (10 mg, oral) for a maximum of 1 year.

Rapalogs induce non-apoptotic, autophagy-dependent cell death in HPV-negative TP53 mutant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Patients with HPV-negative TP53 mutant HNSCC have the worst prognosis, necessitating additional agents for treatment. Since mutant p53 causes sustained activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, we investigated the effect of rapalogs RAD001 and CCI-779 on HPV-negative mutTP53 HNSCC cell lines and xenografts.

Impact of smoking on stage-specific survival in human papilloma virus-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) released a new staging system for human papilloma virus (HPV) positive oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) in their eighth edition. The role of smoking in HPV positive oropharyngeal cancer remains controversial and is not factored into the updated staging system.

Methods: Single institutional, retrospective chart review of patients with HPV positive OPC from 2009 to 2017 was completed.

Comparing cell-free circulating tumor DNA mutational profiles of disease-free and nonresponders patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether somatic nonsynonymous variants in tumor tissue can potentially be identified in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) of head and neck oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients using next-generation sequencing and can predict recurrence or persistence disease.

Methods: A total of 22 OPSCC patients with tumor tissue and respective plasma samples were included in this study. Matching cfDNA and tumor tissues were processed, and DNA sequencing was conducted using the MiSeq platform.

Local and systemic Curcumin C3 complex inhibits 4NQO-induced oral tumorigenesis modulating FGF-2/FGFR-2 activation.

Head and Neck Squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) can be characterized by synchronous tumors in the upper aerodigestive tract. Second primary tumors as a result of field cancerization are a significant problem amongst patients with risk factors for HNSCC, indicating a need for chemo preventive agents. We investigated the efficacy of local and systemic Curcumin C3 complex (C3); a purified mixture of Curcumin, bisdemethoxy Curcumin and demethoxy Curcumin as a chemo preventative agent in 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO)-induced tumorigenesis in mice.

Curcumin gum formulation for prevention of oral cavity head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives/hypothesis: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma represents the sixth most common cancer. As a result of field cancerization, second primaries and recurrences are high. Hence, research has focused on chemoprevention.

Survival outcomes based on systemic agent used concurrently with radiation in human-papillomavirus associated oropharyngeal cancer.

Purpose: To investigate survival outcomes of patients treated with concurrent cetuximab and radiotherapy for primary management of both HPV positive and negative OPSCC, and compare the results to traditional platinum-based therapy. We hypothesize that the use of cetuximab in the HPV positive OPSCC patients will result in inferior survival based on tumor biological differences.

Study Design: A single institution retrospective analysis of 304 patients.

Rapamycin targets Interleukin 6 (IL-6) expression and suppresses endothelial cell invasion stimulated by tumor cells.

mTOR inhibitors have potent antiangiogenic and anti-lymphangiogenic effects in addition to their growth inhibitory effects in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Lymphatogenous spread is much more predominant in HNSCC than hematogenous spread and significantly decreases survival. In this study we evaluated the effects of rapamycin on targeting tumor-stroma crosstalk in HNSCC.

Tongue Blade Bite Test Predicts Mandible Fractures.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the utility of a simple tongue blade bite test in predicting mandible fractures and use this test as an alternative screening tool for further workup. This is a retrospective chart review. An institutional review board approved the retrospective review of patients evaluated by the Department of Otolaryngology at a single institution for facial trauma performed from November 1, 2011, to February 27, 2014.

Biomarker and Pathologic Predictors of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Aggressiveness.

Objective: Aggressive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) patients are at increased risk of metastasis. Currently, there are no accepted criteria or biomarkers for reliably predicting individuals at risk for recurrence and metastasis. Our objective is to determine if pS6 and pERK can predict cSCC aggressiveness and to identify primary tumor characteristics that may predict parotid metastasis.

Photopreventive Effect and Mechanism of AZD4547 and Curcumin C3 Complex on UVB-Induced Epidermal Hyperplasia.

Aggressive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) of the skin is the second most common type of skin cancer in the United States due to high exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. In our previous studies, Curcumin C3 complex (C3), a standardized preparation of three curcumonoids, delayed UVB-induced tumor incidence and inhibited multiplicity. Exposure to UVB activates mTOR and FGFR signaling that play a key role in skin tumorigenesis.

Interobserver agreement of confocal laser endomicroscopy for detection of head and neck neoplasia.

Objectives/hypothesis: We have described the feasibility of using the probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) in differentiating benign from malignant lesions of the head and neck. Therefore, we wanted to determine the interobserver agreement of pCLE offline images of noncancerous, precancerous, and cancerous lesions of the head and neck.

Study Design: Single tertiary referral center.

Association between human papilloma virus/Epstein-Barr virus coinfection and oral carcinogenesis.

Background: The recent epidemic of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) has not addressed its association with lymphoid tissue in the oropharynx or the potential role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)/HPV coinfection.

Methods: The prevalence of HPV and EBV infection/coinfection and CD21 mRNA expression were determined in normal and cancerous tissues from the oropharynx using in situ hybridization (ISH), p16, and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). The effects of coinfection on tumorigenicity were evaluated using proliferation and invasion assays.

Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy in the Detection of Head and Neck Precancerous Lesions.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the feasibility of using probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) in the diagnostic differentiation of non-neoplastic lesions from precancerous and cancerous lesions of head and neck patients.

Study Design: Diagnostic test evaluation.

Setting: Louisiana State University Health Shreveport.

Serum biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell cancer.

Importance: Serum biomarkers may be useful in the evaluation of suspected head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) and as indicators of treatment success or failure in adjuvant and chemopreventive clinical trials.

Objective: To determine serum cytokine and chemokine concentrations altered in patients with HNSCC compared with healthy volunteers to identify potential biomarkers.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A retrospective experimental laboratory study at Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport.

Anti-lymphangiogenic properties of mTOR inhibitors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma experimental models.

Background: Tumor dissemination to cervical lymph nodes via lymphatics represents the first step in the metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and is the most significant predictor of tumor recurrence decreasing survival by 50%. The lymphatic suppressing properties of mTOR inhibitors are not yet well understood.

Methods: Lymphatic inhibiting effects of rapamycin were evaluated in vitro using two lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) lines.

Curcumin inhibits UV radiation-induced skin cancer in SKH-1 mice.

Objective: As skin cancer incidence increases, research has focused on novel chemopreventive agents that inhibit tumor formation. In prior experimentation, curcumin, a naturally occurring food substance and anticarcinogenic agent, inhibited cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma xenograft growth. We hypothesize curcumin will inhibit UVB radiation-induced skin cancer growth in mice, approximating a human chemopreventive model.

Oral dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma: correlation between increased expression of CD21, Epstein-Barr virus and CK19.

Objectives: Epstein-Barr virus is an orally transmitted human gammaherpesvirus that infects B lymphocytes and epithelial cells. Although most primary infections are asymptomatic, long term carriage of the virus can be associated with either lymphoid or epithelial malignancies. The association of EBV with oral squamous cell carcinomas is sporadic and it is uncertain if the virus is involved in initiation of the tumor or, possibly, in its progression.

Human papillomavirus in metastatic lymph nodes from unknown primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: Determine human papillomavirus (HPV) incidence in unknown primary squamous cell carcinomas (SCCa) of the head and neck and assess if HPV status influenced survival.

Study Design: Historical cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary care center.

Curcumin inhibits skin squamous cell carcinoma tumor growth in vivo.

Objective: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa) has increased from 4% to 10% over 4 decades, stimulating interest in developing novel agents that slow sun-damaged skin progression. This is the first study evaluating the naturally occurring bioactive food compound curcumin on skin cancer xenografts. Low bioavailability of curcumin has slowed its transition to clinical trials.