Perineural spread is mechanism of tumor dissemination along a nerve in the head and neck with decreased survival and a higher risk of local recurrence and metastasis. Even though several theories have been proposed, pathogenesis of perineural spread is poorly understood. Advances in diagnostic imaging and the development of new fronts like skull base surgery have brought a transcending change i...

BACKGROUND Critical care pathways (CCPs) are implemented within health care systems as a means to systematically decrease resource utilization, whereas maintaining a high level of care for patients with a specific diagnosis. Previous studies have shown equivocal results for CCPs in head and neck cancer surgery. METHODS We conducted a systematic review evaluating studies of CCPs for head and n...

Preservation of function is a crucial aspect for the evaluation of therapies applied in the field of head and neck cancer. However, preservation of anatomic structures cannot automatically be equated with preservation of function. Functional outcome becomes increasingly important particularly for the evaluation of alternative treatment options with equivalent oncological outcomes.AS A RESULT, P...

Head and Neck cancer (HNC) is a complex mix of cancers and one of the more common cancers with a relatively poor prognosis. One of the factors that may assist us in predicting survival and allow us to adjust our treatment strategies is the presence of tumor hypoxia. In this overview we aim to evaluate the current evidence and potential clinical relevance of tumor hypoxia in head and neck cancer...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Compare U.S. clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and industry, especially with regard to trial design, interventions studied, and results reporting rates. STUDY DESIGN U.S. head and neck cancer clinical trials. METHODS We used information from ClinicalTrials.gov to compare NIH- and industry-sponsored head and neck cancer clinical trials...

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the sixth most common malignancy. High morbidity and mortality, lack of response to radio-and chemotherapy and signifi cant reduction in the quality of life in patients after surgical procedures in the head and neck region stress the need for more eff ective methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease recurrence. In the past, pathologist on...

Innate immunity is a key component in the pathogenesis of oral mucositis, a universal toxicity of chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Dusquetide, a novel Innate Defense Regulator, has demonstrated both nonclinical and clinical efficacy in ameliorating severe oral mucositis (SOM). Long term follow-up studies from the Phase 2 clinical study evaluating dusquetide as a treatment for SOM in head and neck ...

OBJECTIVES Telemedicine applications carry the potential to enhance the quality of life of patients, but studies evaluating telemedicine applications are still scarce. The evidence regarding the effectiveness of telemedicine is limited and not yet conclusive. This study investigated whether telemedicine could be beneficial to the quality of life of cancer patients. DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS Bet...

This paper describes the aims, study design, and patient accrual and characteristics from an ongoing randomized controlled trial evaluating a surgeonand dentist-delivered smoking cessation intervention for head and neck cancer patients. Subjects (n 186) accrued into the trial are profiled in terms of demographics, medical and treatment descriptors, smoking history and behavior at enrollment, an...