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•COVID-19 resource constraints have resulted in treatment delays for oral cancer.•Non-surgical treatment may be necessary to provide timely access to care.•Definitive CCRT is ...associated with an increased rate of death in early oral cancer.•Neoadjuvant regimens have not shown survival benefit in resectable oral cancer.
Surgery is the preferred treatment modality for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, due to limited resources, re-assessment of treatment paradigms in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is urgently required. In this rapid review, we described contemporary oncological outcomes for OSCC using non-surgical modalities.
A systematic literature search was conducted for articles published between January 1, 2010 and April 1, 2020 on MEDLINE and Cochrane CENTRAL. Studies were included if they contained patients with OSCC treated with either neoadjuvant, induction, or definitive radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or combination thereof, and an outcome of overall survival.
In total, 36 articles were included. Definitive radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy were the focus of 18 articles and neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy were the focus of the other 18 articles. In early stage OSCC, definitive radiotherapy, with or without concurrent chemotherapy, was associated with a significantly increased hazard of death compared to definitive surgery (HR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.56–3.67, I2: 63%). The hazard of death was non-significantly increased with definitive chemoradiotherapy in studies excluding early disease (HR: 1.98, 95% CI: 0.85–4.64, I2: 84%). Two recent randomized control trials have been conducted, demonstrating no survival advantage to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
This review suggests that primary radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy are inferior to surgical management for OSCC. Strategies for surgical delay warranting consideration are sparse, but may include several neoadjuvant regimens, recognizing these regimens may not offer a survival benefit over definitive surgery alone.
Cancer causes substantial emotional and psychosocial distress, which may be exacerbated by delays in treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased wait times for many patients with ...cancer. In this study, the psychosocial distress associated with waiting for cancer surgery during the pandemic was investigated. This cross-sectional, convergent mixed-methods study included patients with lower priority disease during the first wave of COVID-19 at an academic, tertiary care hospital in eastern Canada. Participants underwent semi-structured interviews and completed two questionnaires: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Qualitative analysis was completed through a thematic analysis approach, with integration achieved through triangulation. Fourteen participants were recruited, with cancer sites including thyroid, kidney, breast, prostate, and a gynecological disorder. Increased anxiety symptoms were found in 36% of patients and depressive symptoms in 14%. Similarly, 64% of patients experienced moderate or high stress. Six key themes were identified, including uncertainty, life changes, coping strategies, communication, experience, and health services. Participants discussed substantial distress associated with lifestyle changes and uncertain treatment timelines. Participants identified quality communication with their healthcare team and individualized coping strategies as being partially protective against such symptoms. Delays in surgery for patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in extensive psychosocial distress. Patients may be able to mitigate these symptoms partially through various coping mechanisms and improved communication with their healthcare teams.
Healthcare systems generate substantial carbon footprints that may be targeted to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Outreach clinics may represent tools to assist in this reduction by optimizing ...patient related travel. Therefore, we sought to estimate the carbon footprint savings associated with a head and neck surgery outreach clinic.
This study was a cross-sectional survey of patient travel patterns to a surgical outreach clinic compared to a regional cancer treatment centre from December 2019 to February 2020. Participants completed a self-administered survey of 12 items eliciting travel distance, vehicle details, and ability to combine medical appointments. Canadian datasets of manufacturer provided vehicular efficiency were used to estimate carbon emissions for each participant. Geographic information systems were used for analyses.
One hundred thirteen patients were included for analysis. The majority of patients (85.8%) used their own personal vehicle to travel to the outreach clinic. The median distance to the clinic and regional centre were 29.0 km (IQR 6.0-51.9) and 327.0 km (IQR 309.0-337.0) respectively. The mean carbon emission reduction per person was therefore 117,495.4 g (SD: 29,040.0) to 143,570.9 g (SD: 40,236.0). This represents up to 2.5% of an average individual's yearly carbon footprint. Fewer than 10% of patients indicated they were able to carpool or group their appointments.
Surgical outreach clinics decrease carbon footprints associated with patient travel compared to continued care at a regional centre. Further research is needed to determine possible interventions to further reduce carbon emissions associated with the surgical care of patients.
Laryngeal cancers of glottic origin comprise a large proportion of head and neck malignancies. Transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) and radiation therapy are mainstays in the treatment of early stage ...glottic cancer, but debate persists as to which modality is functionally superior. Furthermore, there is a paucity of North American data related to functional and oncological outcomes in T1a glottic cancer. Here, we assessed oncological and functional outcomes of T1a glottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with TLM to supplement evidence from jurisdictions outside North America.
This study is a retrospective cohort study performed from a prospectively collected tertiary center institutional TLM database. Patients who were diagnosed with T1a glottic SCC and underwent TLM as their primary treatment were included. Functional outcomes were analyzed using the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) questionnaire. Ultimate control with TLM only was considered to be those patients with locoregional control with repeat TLM procedures, but without addition of other modalities. Student's t-test was used to test significance and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess oncological outcomes.
48 patients met study criteria. The mean follow-up time was 74 months. The 5-year locoregional, ultimate control with TLM only and laryngeal preservation rates were 83.2%, 90.4% and 100%, respectively. The overall survival and disease-specific survival were 87.2% and 100%, respectively. VHI-10 scores were available for 13/48 patients and mean scores improved non-significantly from pre-op (mean: 11.23; range: 2 to 30; median: 10) and post op (mean: 7.92; range: 0 to 18; median: 8) scoring (p-value = 0.15). Sub-stratification of voice data revealed a significant improvement between pre and post-operative scores (mean difference - 10.6, 95% CI: - 0.99 to - 20.21, p-value = 0.035) for patients with abnormal pre-operative scores (VHI > 11).
To our knowledge, the current work represents one of the first North American studies to report both functional and oncologic outcomes for TLM treatment of T1a glottic SCC. The oncologic and functional outcomes presented here add to existing evidence in favor of TLM as a safe and effective primary treatment option for early staged T1a glottic cancer.
Secretory Carcinoma (SC) is a recently described malignancy affecting salivary glands of the head and neck, with a paucity of evidence regarding the natural history, morbidity, and mortality. This ...study aimed to investigate the current treatment options utilized for SC, as well as its presentation and outcomes.
This study is a retrospective case series and includes patients diagnosed with SC at four Maritime Canadian institutions. Literature review of patient outcomes following treatment of SC is also included.
Thirteen patients were identified. Parotid was the most common subsite (69%), followed by minor salivary gland (23%) and submandibular gland (8%). All patients were S100 positive and had at least one additional positive confirmatory stain, including mammaglobin, CK7, or vimentin. Two patients had N2b disease. All patients were treated with primary surgery, and four were offered adjuvant radiotherapy. There was one instance of locoregional recurrence, and one of metastasis. Three patients displayed perineural invasion on pathology, and one patient displayed lymphovascular invasion.
Secretory Carcinoma remains understudied regarding its natural history, presentation, and treatment options. This study is the largest single case series in Canada, and highlights the young age and possible aggressiveness of SC. As well, we provide the most comprehensive literature review to date, with a focus on treatment and outcomes for this disease entity.
Superficial parotidectomy has a potential to be performed as an outpatient procedure. The objective of the study is to evaluate the safety and selection profile of outpatient superficial ...parotidectomy compared to inpatient parotidectomy.
A retrospective review of individuals who underwent superficial parotidectomy between 2006 and 2016 at a tertiary care center was conducted. Primary outcomes included surgical complications, including transient/permanent facial nerve palsy, wound infection, hematoma, seroma, and fistula formation, as well as medical complications in the postoperative period. Secondary outcome measures included unplanned emergency room visits and readmissions within 30 days of operation due to postoperative complications.
There were 238 patients included (124 in outpatient and 114 in inpatient group). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of gender, co-morbidities, tumor pathology or tumor size. There was a trend towards longer distance to the hospital from home address (111 Km in inpatient vs. 27 in outpatient, mean difference 83 km 95% CI,- 1 to 162 km, p = 0.053). The overall complication rates were comparable between the groups (24.2% in outpatient group vs. 21.1% in inpatient, p = 0.56). There was no difference in the rate of return to the emergency department (3.5% vs 5.6%, p = 0.433) or readmission within 30 days (0.9% vs 0.8%, p = 0.952).
Superficial parotidectomy can be performed safely as an outpatient procedure without elevated risk of complications.
Primary mucosal melanoma of the larynx is an extremely rare entity. Our case represents the seventeenth case reported to date globally, and the first Canadian case to be reported.
We present the case ...of a 70-year-old male who was referred for hoarseness and found to have a T3N0M0 glottic mucosal melanoma involving the left true vocal cord. The laryngeal tumour was resected via a transoral laser microsurgery approach with a CO2 laser, wherein an extended partial laryngectomy with negative margins was achieved. There were no regional or distant metastases. Mucosal melanoma is a rare, but an aggressive malignancy as it is generally discovered at an advanced stage. Herein we present our diagnostic, treatment, and post-operative follow-up approaches.
Owing to the rarity of mucosal melanoma, especially of the larynx, we believe additional reported cases to the literature will contribute to better understanding of this malignancy and improve treatment strategies.
The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is increasing with a growing proportion of diagnoses associated with human papillomavirus (p16 + OSCC), which generally confers a favorable ...prognosis. For these reasons, novel risk stratification models specific to the p16 + OSCC population have recently been proposed to guide future research on treatment de-intensification for appropriate patients. This study aimed to quantify patient risk distribution using multiple published risk models and investigate the hypothesis that the local p16 + OSCC population includes a smaller proportion of low-risk patients due to a high prevalence of concurrent tobacco exposure.
A retrospective cohort study was performed including patients diagnosed with p16 + OSCC in Nova Scotia between 2011 and 2015. Patient identification was obtained through the CCNS registry and an institutional database. Exclusion criteria included HPV negative status, second primary cases, incomplete data availability, and local recurrence cases.
Following exclusion, 117 patients met study criteria. The majority had small primary tumors (70.9% ≤ T2) and advanced nodal status on presentation (60.7% ≥ N2b). Most patients had a positive smoking history (62.4%), with 53.0% of patients having a pack-year history greater than 10 pack-years. In four of the five risk stratification models, the majority of the study population fell into the lowest risk category. The risk stratification distribution of our local population was similar to the populations used to validate the published models, with the largest single category difference being 13.3% (range - 12.3 to + 13.3%).
This is the first study to compare multiple currently published risk stratification models to a local population and address the uncertainty of risk stratification in the Nova Scotian p16 + OSCC population. Despite a high prevalence of concurrent tobacco exposure, the study population was found to be overall low risk, with similar risk compared to model validation populations.
Primary chondrosarcomas of the nasal septum are rare, with a variety of clinical features that evade detection and treatment. While endoscopic surgery has become increasingly accessible, open ...approaches may be needed to provide adequate visualization for tumour ablation and reconstruction. We report the resection and reconstructive considerations of a septal chondrosarcoma.
A 75-year-old woman presented with a 3-year history of a slow growing, firm mass in the nasal tip causing protrusion and septal fullness. Computed Tomography scan of the paranasal sinuses revealed a well-circumscribed, 2.2 cm mass at the anterior nasal septum extending into the right vestibule. Biopsy of the cartilaginous lesion confirmed the diagnosis of a low-grade chondrosarcoma by histopathology. The tumour was removed using a transcolumellar open rhinoplasty approach with a large septal resection. Primary reconstruction of the surgical defect was performed using an L-shaped strut from the nasal keystone area to the columella. Follow-up examinations demonstrated no evidence of recurrent disease with satisfactory functional and cosmetic outcomes at 1-year.
This report describes a case of nasal septal chondrosarcoma successfully treated with surgical excision using an open rhinoplasty approach. Only 5-10% of chondrosarcomas are located in the head and neck region and arise rarely in the nasal septum in approximately 2-4%. With this mass, an open rhinoplasty approach was required to allow optimal exposure of the margins and to facilitate reconstruction without disruption of normal sinonasal anatomy and function. Although rare, chondrosarcoma of the nasal septum should be considered in the differential diagnosis of nasal masses.
Due to resource restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, many pediatric patients are facing substantial delays for surgery, potentially resulting in additional distress for caregivers. We aimed ...to assess the experiences and psychosocial distress of parents during COVID-19 as they relate to the pandemic, waiting for surgery, and the combined effects of both events. The was a cross-sectional qualitative study. Parents with children who faced treatment delays during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic for elective, non-emergent procedures across a variety of surgical specialties were recruited. Semi-structured telephone interviews and thematic analysis were utilized. Thematic saturation was reached with eighteen participants. Four themes were identified: coping with COVID-19, distress levels, quality and nature of communication with the surgical team, and the experience of COVID-19 related hospital restrictions. Participants reported varying levels of distress due to the delay in surgery, such as the fear of developmental delay or disease progression for their child. They also indicated their own physical and mental health had been impacted by emotional distress related to both COVID-19 and delays in treatment. Most participants experienced the COVID-19-related hospital restrictions as distressing. This related predominantly to limiting in-hospital caregivers to only one caregiver. Participants were found to have substantial levels of psychosocial distress. Targeted social and emotional support may be helpful in reducing parental distress as the pandemic timeframe continues. Within the limits of individual health systems, reducing restrictions to the number of allowed care givers may help allay distress felt by parents.
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