Deintensification of treatment from chemoradiotherapy to radiotherapy or surgery alone in cases of HPV+ AJCC eighth edition stage I or stage II disease may compromise patient safety. Treatment intensification to triple-modality therapy for patients with stage III disease may improve survival in this group. Cancer 2018;124:717-26. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Objective Studies have suggested that the lymph node yield and lymph node density from selective or elective neck dissections are predictive of patient outcomes and may be used for patient counseling, treatment planning, or quality measurement. Our objective was to systematically review the literature and conduct a meta-analysis of studies that investigated the prognostic significance of lymph node yield and/or lymph node density after neck dissection for patients with head and neck cancer. Data Sources The Ovid/Medline, Ovid/Embase, and NLM PubMed databases were systematically searched on January 23, 2017, for articles published between January 1, 1946, and January 23, 2017. Review Methods We reviewed English-language original research that included survival analysis of patients undergoing neck dissection for a head and neck malignancy stratified by lymph node yield and/or lymph node density. Study data were extracted by 2 independent researchers (S.C. and M.O.). We utilized the DerSimonian and Laird random effects model to account for heterogeneity of studies. Results Our search yielded 350 nonduplicate articles, with 23 studies included in the final synthesis. Pooled results demonstrated that increased lymph node yield was associated with a significant improvement in survival (hazard ratio, 0.833; 95% CI, 0.790-0.879). Additionally, we found that increased lymph node density was associated with poorer survival (hazard ratio, 1.916; 95% CI, 1.637-2.241). Conclusions Increased nodal yield portends improved outcomes and may be a valuable quality indicator for neck dissections, while increased lymph node density is associated with diminished survival and may be used for postsurgical counseling and planning for adjuvant therapy.

IMPORTANCEPatients with Down syndrome have a high incidence of persistent obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and limited treatment options. Upper airway hypoglossal stimulation has been shown to be effective for adults with OSA but has not yet been evaluated for pediatric populations.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of upper airway stimulation for adolescent patients with Down syndrome and severe OSA.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This prospective single-group multicenter cohort study with 1-year follow-up was conducted between April 1, 2015, and July 31, 2021, among a referred sample of 42 consecutive adolescent patients with Down syndrome and persistent severe OSA after adenotonsillectomy.INTERVENTION Upper airway stimulation. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESThe prespecified primary outcomes were safety and the change in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) from baseline to 12 months postoperatively. Polysomnographic and quality of life outcomes were assessed at 1, 2, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS Among the 42 patients (28 male patients [66.7%]; mean [SD] age, 15.1 [3.0] years), there was a mean (SD) decrease in AHI of 12.9 (13.2) events/h (95% CI, -17.0 to -8.7 events/h). With the use of a therapy response definition of a 50% decrease in AHI, the 12-month response rate was 65.9% (27 of 41), and 73.2% of patients (30 of 41) had a 12-month AHI of less than 10 events/h. The most common complication was temporary tongue or oral discomfort, which occurred in 5 patients (11.9%). The reoperation rate was 4.8% (n = 2). The mean (SD) improvement in the OSA-18 total score was 34.8 (20.3) (95% CI, -42.1 to -27.5), and the mean (SD) improvement in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale score was 5.1 (6.9) (95% CI, -7.4 to -2.8). The mean (SD) duration of nightly therapy was 9.0 (1.8) hours, with 40 patients (95.2%) using the device at least 4 hours a night.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Upper airway stimulation was able to be safely performed for 42 adolescents who had Down syndrome and persistent severe OSA after adenotonsillectomy with positive airway pressure intolerance. There was an acceptable adverse event profile with high rates of therapy response and quality of life improvement.

IMPORTANCE Though described as an important prognostic indicator, facility case volume thresholds for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have not been previously developed to date. OBJECTIVE To identify prognostic case volume thresholds of facilities that manage HNSCC.

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