Search results for "Head and Neck Neoplasms"
showing 10 items of 183 documents
Loss of interferon-gamma inducibility of the MHC class II antigen processing pathway in head and neck cancer: evidence for post-transcriptional as we…
2008
Summary Background Abnormalities of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens by tumour cells impair the cellular immune response and promote tumour evasion from immune surveillance. So far, studies analysing the MHC class II expression levels in head and neck cancer have been limited. Objectives Therefore, we investigated the constitutive and interferon (IFN)-γ-regulated expression profiles of MHC class II antigen processing machinery (APM) in various head and neck cancer cell lines and also analysed the MHC class II expression in head and neck cancer lesions. Methods Using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analyses we in…
Cis-diamminodichloroplatinum plus a 5-day continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil in the treatment of locally recurrent and metastatic head and neck ca…
1989
A group of 23 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven advanced or metastatic head and neck cancer were treated with cisplatinum, 100 mg/m2 i.v., on day 1 plus 5-fluorouracil, 1000 mg/m2, in continuous infusion for 5 days. Most patients (87%) had recurrent or metastatic cancer and were previously treated (78%). Out of 21 evaluable patients we obtained a 42% overall response rate (complete + partial responses) with a mean duration of more than 8 months and a 14% minimal response rate. A stabilization of disease was achieved in 28% of cases, while 14% of patients progressed. This response rate, as well as the duration of response, seems to be similar to those obtained in other series comprisin…
Calcified carotid artery atheromas on panoramic radiographs of head and neck cancer patients before and after radiotherapy
2017
Background The aims of this study were to verify if head and neck radiotherapy (RT) is able to induce calcified carotid artery atheroma (CCAA) in a large head and neck cancer (HNC) population and also to compare the socio-demographic and clinical findings of patients with and without CCAA detected on panoramic radiographs. Material and Methods Panoramic radiographs taken before and after head and neck radiotherapy (RT) of 180 HNC patients were selected and analyzed in order to identify the presence of CCAA. In addition, CCAA presence or absence on panoramic radiographs were compared and correlated with clinicopathological findings. Results A high overall prevalence of CCAA was found on pano…
Noise estimation from averaged diffusion weighted images: Can unbiased quantitative decay parameters assist cancer evaluation?
2013
Purpose Multiexponential decay parameters are estimated from diffusion-weighted-imaging that generally have inherently low signal-to-noise ratio and non-normal noise distributions, especially at high b-values. Conventional nonlinear regression algorithms assume normally distributed noise, introducing bias into the calculated decay parameters and potentially affecting their ability to classify tumors. This study aims to accurately estimate noise of averaged diffusion-weighted-imaging, to correct the noise induced bias, and to assess the effect upon cancer classification. Methods A new adaptation of the median-absolute-deviation technique in the wavelet-domain, using a closed form approximati…
Microbiological effects of an antiseptic mouthrinse in irradiated cancer patients
2010
Objective: To assess the microbiological effects of an antiseptic, non-alcohol based mouth-rinse containing chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride, in patients undergoing radiation therapy for head-and-neck cancer. Study Design: This was a parallel, double-blind, prospective, randomized clinical trial, including patients irradiated as part of the therapy of head-and-neck cancer, aged 18-75, with at least 10 teeth, and willing to sign an informed consent. Cancer patients were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments (test mouth-rinse or a placebo). Three visits were scheduled (baseline, 14 and 28 days). Microbiological findings were evaluated in tongue, mucosa and subgingival sampl…
The effect of amifostine or IMRT to preserve the parotid function after radiotherapy of the head and neck region measured by quantitative salivary gl…
2008
Purpose: In this retrospective study, two approaches to preserve the parotid function after radiotherapy (RT) were compared: application of the radioprotective agent amifostine during RT and parotid sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Patients and methods: Patients were qualified for this analysis if (1) both parotid glands received a radiation dose of P50 Gy using conventional radiotherapy techniques (cRT) or if they received a parotid sparing IMRT as alternative, if (2) salivary gland scintigraphies before and after RT were performed, and if (3) a normal parotid function was present before RT. Quantitative salivary gland scintigraphy was used to assess the parotid gland funct…
Cancer net survival on registry data: use of the new unbiased Pohar-Perme estimator and magnitude of the bias with the classical methods
2013
Net survival, the survival which might occur if cancer was the only cause of death, is a major epidemiological indicator required for international or temporal comparisons. Recent findings have shown that all classical methods used for routine estimation of net survival from cancer-registry data, sometimes called "relative-survival methods," provide biased estimates. Meanwhile, an unbiased estimator, the Pohar-Perme estimator (PPE), was recently proposed. Using real data, we investigated the magnitude of the errors made by four "relative-survival" methods (Ederer I, Hakulinen, Ederer II and a univariable regression model) vs. PPE as reference and examined the influence of time of follow-up,…
Demethylation treatment restores hic1 expression and impairs aggressiveness of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
2010
Promoter hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes is a common feature of primary cancer cells. However, at date the somatic epigenetic events that occur in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumorigenesis are not yet been well defined. In the present study we analysed the methylation status of the gene hypermethylated in cancer-1 (hic1), a gene located on chromosome 17p13.3, a region frequently lost in HNSCC. We analysed 22 HNSCC samples and three cell lines using methylation specific PCR (MSP). We found hic1 methylated in 21 out of 22 samples and in all three cell lines. Treatment of the cell lines with the demethylating agent 5-Azacytidin (5-Aza) resulted in the demethylation…
Vinorelbine plus cisplatin in recurrent or previously untreated unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
1995
Despite considerable progress achieved in the management of head and neck carcinomas (HNC) in the last decade, the prognosis of patients with advanced squamous cell HNC is still dismal. On the basis of the reported good activity of a new vinca alkaloid derivative, i.e., vinorelbine (VNR), we tested the combination of cisplatin and VNR in a series of patients with recurrent or previously untreated unresectable squamous cell HNC. Thirty-five patients with recurrent or previously untreated unresectable squamous cell HNC were treated with a combination of cisplatin 80 mg/m2 on day 1, plus vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 i.v. push on days 1 and 8. This cycle was repeated every 3 weeks. Analysis of response…
Neo-adjuvant chemo-(immuno-)therapy of advanced squamous-cell head and neck carcinoma: a multicenter, phase III, randomized study comparing cisplatin…
1998
We carried out an open, randomized, phase III, multicenter clinical trial to compare, in neo-adjuvant setting, the clinical response and toxicity of the combination chemotherapy cisplatin + 5-FU with the same combination plus s.c. recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) in patients with advanced (stage III IV) head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Regimen A was the classical Al Sarraf treatment: 100 mg/m2 cisplatin i.v. on day 1 plus 1000 mg m(-2) day(-1) 5-FU on days 1-5 as a continuous infusion. Regimen B was the same as regimen A plus 4.5 MIU/day rIL-2 s.c. on days 8-12 and 15-19. Treatment was repeated every 3 weeks for three cycles. A total of 33 patients were enrolled in the study;…