A randomized trial on addition of concurrent-adjuvant chemotherapy and/or accelerated fractionation for locally-advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background And Purpose: To evaluate the therapeutic benefits by adding chemotherapy (+C) and/or accelerated-fractionation (AF) for patients with T3-4N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: From 1999 to 2004, 189 eligible patients were randomized to one of four treatment groups (CF/CF+C/AF/AF+C). The number of fractions/week was 5 for the CF groups and 6 for the AF groups.

Preliminary results of a randomized study (NPC-9902 Trial) on therapeutic gain by concurrent chemotherapy and/or accelerated fractionation for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: To compare the benefit achieved by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and/or accelerated fractionation (AF) vs. radiotherapy (RT) alone with conventional fractionation (CF) for patients with T3-4N0-1M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods And Materials: All patients were irradiated with the same RT technique to > or =66 Gy at 2 Gy per fraction, conventional five fractions/week in the CF and CF+C (chemotherapy) arms, and accelerated six fractions/week in the AF and AF+C arms.

Dose-response relationship of nasopharyngeal carcinoma above conventional tumoricidal level: a study by the Hong Kong nasopharyngeal carcinoma study group (HKNPCSG).

Background And Purpose: To define the dose-response relationship of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) above the conventional tumoricidal dose level of 66 Gy when the basic radiotherapy (RT) course was given by the 2D Ho's technique.

Patients And Methods: Data from all five regional cancer centers in Hong Kong were pooled for this retrospective study. All patients (n = 2426) were treated with curative-intent RT with or without chemotherapy between 1996 and 2000 with the basic RT course using the Ho's technique.

Differentiated thyroid carcinoma in childhood and adolescence-clinical course and role of radioiodine.

Background: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in childhood has a good prognosis despite a high incidence of relapse. The use of radioactive iodine (RAI) has not been well established.

Procedure: This is a review of 60 patients less than 21 years of age; mean follow-up was 14 years.

Identification of serum amyloid a protein as a potentially useful biomarker to monitor relapse of nasopharyngeal cancer by serum proteomic profiling.

Purpose: Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is a common cancer in Hong Kong, and relapse can occur frequently. Using protein chip profiling analysis, we aimed to identify serum biomarkers that were useful in the diagnosis of relapse in NPC.

Experimental Design: Profiling analysis was performed on 704 sera collected from 42 NPC patients, 39 lung cancer patients, 30 patients with the benign metabolic disorder thyrotoxicosis (TX), and 35 normal individuals (NM).

Papillary microcarcinoma of the thyroid-Prognostic significance of lymph node metastasis and multifocality.

Background: It is known that patients with papillary microcarcinoma (PMC) of the thyroid gland have a very favorable prognosis. The rising incidence of PMC among papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) necessitates the identification of prognostic factors and the formulation of treatment protocols.

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 203 patients with PMC who were diagnosed on or before 1999 and were treated at the Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong.

Reirradiation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma with intracavitary mold brachytherapy: an effective means of local salvage.

Purpose: To assess the role of intracavitary mold brachytherapy in salvaging local failure of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods And Materials: The outcomes of 118 consecutive NPC patients with local failure treated with mold brachytherapy between 1989 and 1996 were retrospectively reviewed. Eleven patients received additional external radiotherapy.

Follicular thyroid carcinoma: prognostic factors and the role of radioiodine.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the patterns of recurrence, various prognostic factors, and the role of radioiodine in the treatment of patients with follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC).

Methods: The clinical outcomes of 215 patients with FTC who were treated at a single institution were analyzed retrospectively. The mean follow-up was 10.

Early stage nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma: clinical outcome, prognostic factors, and the effect of treatment modality.

Purpose: To determine the clinical outcome, prognostic factors, and effect of adding combination chemotherapy to radiation therapy on disease control and survival in early stage nasal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma.

Methods And Materials: A retrospective "intent to treat" analysis was carried out on 79 patients treated consecutively with curative intent between 1977 and June 2001. They all had early stage (Ann Arbor Stage I(E): 63, II(E):16) nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma.

Differentiated thyroid carcinoma: comparison between papillary and follicular carcinoma in a single institute.

Purpose: To compare and contrast the clinical presentation and treatment outcome of patients with papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma and to study the pattern of practice of treatment of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in Hong Kong.

Method: The clinical presentation and treatment outcomes were reviewed for 1057 patients with differentiated thyroid cancers who were treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, from 1960 to 1997. Eight hundred forty-two patients had papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC), and 215 had follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTC).

Circulating Epstein-Barr virus DNA in serum of patients with lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the lung: a potential surrogate marker for monitoring disease.

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to study the sera of patients with lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) of the lung for circulating EBV DNA.

Experimental Design: Prospectively collected serum samples from five female patients with advanced, inoperable LELC of the lung were measured for free circulating EBV DNA using a quantitative PCR technique. EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER)-1 was assayed in serial serum samples of three of the five patients, either from the start or during the initial phase of chemotherapy/radiotherapy until their terminal event or last follow-up.

Cervical nodal metastases from occult primary: undifferentiated carcinoma versus squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose/objective: Controversy exists regarding the management of cervical lymph node metastases from occult primary. Oncologists face a major challenge in adopting an optimal approach. This study attempted to compare the clinical course of two different histologic findings of this disease entity.

Central nervous system metastasis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a report of two patients and a review of the literature.

Background: Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an extremely rare occurrence, although direct intracranial invasion is not infrequent in patients with NPC at a locally advanced stage. Only five other patients have been reported in detail in the English literature.

Methods: The clinical records of two such patients with NPC who were diagnosed with metastasis to the spinal cord (intradural) and to the occipital lobe, respectively, were reviewed.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma: prognostic factors and the role of radioiodine and external radiotherapy.

Purpose: To evaluate the role of radioiodine and external radiotherapy treatment in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Methods And Materials: This is a retrospective study of 842 patients with the diagnosis of PTC registered from 1960 to 1997 at the Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong. The mean follow-up was 9.