Objective The rapid worldwide rise in incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has generated studies confirming this disease as an entity distinct from traditional OPSCC. Based on pathology, surgical studies have revealed prognosticators specific to HPV-positive OPSCC. The current AJCC/UICC staging and pathologic nodal (pN)-classification do not differentiate for survival, demonstrating the need for new, HPV-specific OPSCC staging. The objective of this study was to define a pathologic staging system specific to HPV-positive OPSCC. Methods Data were assembled from a surgically-managed, p16-positive OPSCC cohort (any T, any N, M0) of 704 patients from five cancer centers. Analysis was performed for a) the AJCC/UICC pathologic staging, b) newly published clinical staging for non-surgically managed HPV-positive OPSCC and c), a novel, pathology-based, “HPVpath” staging system that combines features of the primary tumor and nodal metastases. Results A combination of AJCC/UICC pT-classification and pathology-confirmed metastatic node count (<4 versus ≥5) yielded three groups, stages I (pT1-T2, ≤ 4 nodes), II (pT1-T2, ≥ 5 nodes; pT3-T4, ≤ 4 nodes), and III (pT3-T4, ≥ 5 nodes), with incrementally worse prognosis (Kaplan-Meier overall survival of 90%, 84% and 48% respectively). Existing AJCC/UICC pathologic staging lacked prognostic definition. Newly published HPV-specific clinical stagings from non-surgically managed patients, although prognostic, showed lower precision for this surgically managed cohort. Conclusions Three loco-regional “HPVpath” stages are identifiable for HPV-positive OPSCC, based on a combination of AJCC/UICC primary tumor pT-classification and metastatic node count. A workable, pathologic staging system is feasible to guide prognosis and adjuvant therapy decisions in surgically-managed HPV-positive OPSCC.
Endoscopic stapling of Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) is now established practice in the UK and is routinely performed by the vast majority of otolaryngologists. Both The National Confidential Enquiry into Peri-Operative Deaths and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommended that the procedure be undertaken at specialist centres and that each department should audit their respective outcomes. Despite the abundance of review articles, it remains unclear what variables a meaningful audit is required to collate and what gold standards every department in the UK undertaking surgery for ZD should aspire to achieve. The objective was to review the outcomes of endoscopic stapling of Zenker's diverticulum at this institution. In addition, a review of other UK departments was undertaken to formulate minimum clinical standards and recommendations of best practice. Review of patient case notes and a structured search of PubMed were used as materials. Fifteen retrospective case series were identified from the literature search which fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Fifty-one patients were identified from the present audit. When these were added to the review, a total of 585 patients were available for meta-analysis. 540 (92.3%) were successfully stapled. Forty-five (7.7%) procedures were abandoned intra-operatively. The most common reason was difficulty assessing the small pouch. The majority of patients (92%) had resumed oral intake by the second post-operative day. Most patients (87%) were discharged by the second post-operative day. Outcomes were good with over 90% reporting resolved or significantly improved symptoms. Minor complications included dental trauma, transient hoarseness and sore throat causing delayed resumption of oral intake. The overall perforation rate was 4.8%. One death was reported. In conclusion endoscopic stapling of pharyngeal pouch is a safe procedure that is associated with good outcomes and low complication rates. No death has been reported since 2000 in the UK. The data presented in this review represent current clinical standards reported over the past 15 years by UK departments and serve as a useful benchmark for any future audits undertaken.
Gaviscon® Advance alone is effective in treating symptoms of LPR, while co-prescription with a high-dose PPI offers no additional benefit.
Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) is a common cause of respiratory infection, but also frequently colonizes the nasopharynx in the absence of disease. We used mass cytometry to study immune cells from nasal biopsy samples collected following experimental human pneumococcal challenge in order to identify immunological mechanisms of control of Spn colonization. Using 37 markers, we characterized 293 nasal immune cell clusters, of which 7 were associated with Spn colonization. B cell and CD161+CD8+ T cell clusters were significantly lower in colonized than in noncolonized subjects. By following a second cohort before and after pneumococcal challenge we observed that B cells were depleted from the nasal mucosa upon Spn colonization. This associated with an expansion of Spn polysaccharide–specific and total plasmablasts in blood. Moreover, increased responses of blood mucosa-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells against in vitro stimulation with pneumococcus prior to challenge associated with protection against establishment of Spn colonization and with increased mucosal MAIT cell populations. These results implicate MAIT cells in the protection against pneumococcal colonization and demonstrate that colonization affects mucosal and circulating B cell populations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.