TLM as a primary treatment for advanced oropharyngeal malignancy confers excellent survival and swallowing proficiency.

Background In the human papillomavirus (HPV) era, the best way to assess oropharyngeal squamous carcinomas (SCC) for risk stratification is not clear. Many recommend use of both p16 immunohistochemistry and HPV in situ hybridization (ISH). A significant minority of tumors are p16 positive and HPV ISH negative, the significance of which is unclear. Methods Two hundred thirty-nine oropharyngeal SCC were tested by immunohistochemistry for p16 and by ISH for highrisk HPV. For p16 positive, HPV ISH negative cases, PCR was conducted for HPV. The findings were correlated with pathologic and clinical findings. Results Of the 239 cases, 187 (78%) were positive for p16. Of these, 139 (74%) were positive for HPV by ISH. Of the remaining 48 cases, 45 had material for PCR. Nineteen were positive for HPV, leaving a group of 26 p16 positive and HPV undetectable SCCs. In the p16 positive cohort, there was no difference in survival between HPV ISH positive and negative cases. Comparing the HPV ISH positive and HPV ISH and PCR negative SCC, there was again no difference in survival. p16 positive, HPV negative SCC still had significantly better survival than p16 negative SCC in univariate and multivariate analysis. Conclusions Outcomes for p16 positive, HPV negative oropharyngeal SCC are not significantly different from p16 positive, HPV positive tumors and are significantly better than for p16 negative tumors. These results suggest that p16 immunohistochemistry alone is the best test to use for risk stratification in oropharyngeal SCC.

Risk to patients and transferred tissue is low in free flap head and neck reconstruction. Age, smoking history, and weight loss should be considered during patient selection. Fluid balance should be considered during and after surgery. Division of labor for patient care should be carefully delineated among surgeons in a teaching setting.

BACKGROUND: Extracapsular spread (ECS) is commonly used to justify adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer. The role of ECS as a prognosticator and adjuvant therapy determinant in surgically resected, human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), however, has never been determined. METHODS: Of 210 oropharynx patients in a prospective transoral laser microsurgery database, 152 patients who had p16-positive primary OPSCC and pathologically positive necks were eligible for the study. ECS was measured from routine reporting (ECS report ) and by using a novel histologic grading system (ECS graded ). Proportional hazards models and matched analyses were used to compare the impact of ECS and adjuvant therapy on disease-free survival (DFS). Patients with and without graded ECS were matched for T-stage, surgical margins, and adjuvant therapy. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 43 months, the presence of ECS was not associated with poorer DFS in multivariate analyses (ECS report : hazard ratio [HR], 3.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-25.88; P ¼ .23; ECS graded : HR, 2.54; 95% CI, 0.88-7.34; P ¼ .09). T-stage and high-grade ECS, ie soft tissue metastasis (STM graded ) were prognostic. Overall and in the presence of ECS or even STM, adjuvant CRT was not associated with better DFS over radiotherapy alone (HR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.06-1.13; P ¼ .07). In addition, matched analyses demonstrated no significant reduction in DFS for the presence of ECS versus the absence of ECS or reduced DFS for the administration of adjuvant radiotherapy alone versus CRT in ECS-positive patients. CONCLUSIONS: Routinely reported ECS was not prognostic in this study. Adjuvant CRT versus radiotherapy alone produced no improvement in DFS for ECS-positive patients. The authors propose that de-escalated adjuvant therapy should be considered for patients with p16-positive OPSCC who undergo surgery and that routinely reported ECS should not be used to justify adjuvant chemotherapy. Cancer 2012;118:3519-

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These NCCN Guidelines Insights focus on recent updates to the 2015 NCCN Guidelines for Head and Neck (H&N) Cancers. These Insights describe the different types of particle therapy that may be used to treat H&N cancers, in contrast to traditional radiation therapy (RT) with photons (x-ray). Research is ongoing regarding the different types of particle therapy, including protons and carbon ions, with the goals of reducing the long-term side effects from RT and improving the therapeutic index. For the 2015 update, the NCCN H&N Cancers Panel agreed to delete recommendations for neutron therapy for salivary gland cancers, because of its limited availability, which has decreased over the past 2 decades; the small number of patients in the United States who currently receive this treatment; and concerns that the toxicity of neutron therapy may offset potential disease control advantages.

Conclusions are as follows: 1) The incidence of second primary tumors is independent from the primary tumor staging and distant and delayed regional metastases. The highest incidence occurred in patient groups with the highest disease-free survival rates (P =.0378). 2) Highest incidence of delayed and distant metastases occurred in hypopharyngeal tumors and was three times greater than in laryngeal cancers (P =.028). 3) Salvage therapeutic rates were poor for delayed metastases to the ipsilateral treated nodes and distant metastases as compared with contralateral neck metastases and second primary tumors (P =.001). 4) Delayed and distant lymph node metastases were significantly higher in advanced primary disease (T4 stage), locoregional recurrences, and regional disease (N2 and N3) (P =.028) in both the larynx and hypopharynx. 5) The higher incidence of delayed and distant metastatic disease was related to more advanced initial tumor presentation in hypopharyngeal cancer as compared with laryngeal cancer (P =.039). 6) Incidence of distant metastases was greatest between 1.5 and 6 years after initial treatment with a mean incidence being less than or equal to 3.2 years.

Objectives/Hypothesis Document survival, prognostic variables, and functional outcomes of patients with AJCC stage III or IV oropharyngeal cancer, treated with transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) ± adjuvant therapy. Study Design Analysis of prospectively assembled data pertaining to the above-described patient cohort. Methods Patients treated with TLM for AJCC stage III or IV oropharyngeal cancer at Washington University School of Medicine from 1996 to 2006 were followed for a minimum of 2 years. Recurrence, survival, functional, and human papilloma virus data were analyzed. Results Eighty-four patients met inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up was 52.6 months. Overall AJCC stages were: III 15% and IV 85%. T stages were T1–2, 74%; T3–4, 26%. Eighty-three patients underwent neck dissection, 50 received adjuvant radiotherapy, and 28 received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Overall survival at 2 and 5 years was 94% and 88%, respectively. Disease-specific survival at 2 and 5 years was 96% and 92%, respectively. Six patients recurred (7%): locally (one), regionally (four), and distant (five). T stage, positive margins, and p16 status significantly impacted survival. The addition of adjuvant chemo-therapy in high-risk patients did not significantly impact survival. Five patients (6%) had major surgical complications, but without mortality. Eighty-one percent of patients had acceptable swallowing function at last follow-up. Immediately postoperatively, 17% required G-tubes, which dropped to 3.4% of living patients at 3 years. Conclusions In this population, our findings validate TLM ± adjuvant therapy as a highly effective strategy for survival, locoregional control, and swallowing recovery in AJCC stage III and IV oropharyngeal cancer. Our finding also show that p16 positivity improves survival.