Hypoxia inducible factor (HIf1alpha and HIF2alpha) and carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) expression and response of head-neck cancer to hypofractionated and accelerated radiotherapy.

Purpose: Tumor hypoxia and low intrinsic radiosensitivity may counteract the efficacy of standard radiotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer (HNC). We investigated the involvement of hypoxia-regulated proteins (Hypoxia inducible factors HIF1alpha, HIF2alpha and carbonic anhydrase CA9) in HNC resistance to accelerated and hypofractionated radiotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-nine patients with locally advanced HNC received 15 daily fractions of 3.

Functional tension nose as a cause of nasal airway obstruction.

Objective: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the influence of functional tension nose in nasal obstruction and to discuss its frequency and management.

Methods: Over the years 2000-2006, 153 patients underwent revision operation for nasal obstruction in our rhinoplastic center. Twenty-two of them (14.

Preventing radiation induced xerostomia.

Radiation induced xerostomia is a frequent consequence of radiotherapy (RT) for head-neck cancer (HNC) patients, when parotid glands are included in the radiation fields. Although early appearing xerostomia may be alleviated with the use of pilocarpine, persistent chronic xerostomia affects more than 70% of HNC patients treated with post-operative or radical radiotherapy and significantly impairs the quality of life potentially cured patients. The present manuscript reviews and discusses the current technological (conformal and intensity modulated RT) and pharmacological (amifostine) developments aiming to prevent the severity and reduce incidence of both acute and late radiation xerostomia in patients with HNC.