Biomedical subjects

M A Schusterman

Publications and source records attributed to M A Schusterman.

76 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Analysis of the morbidity associated with immediate microvascular reconstruction in head and neck cancer patients.

Free tissue transfer has become an important adjunct in the reconstruction of head and neck cancer patients. Despite the success, the added time required to perform free flap reconstructions continues to be a concern for some head and neck surgeons. In order to investigate whether this added time increases the risk of medical complications to the patient, 20 consecutive free flap patients were compared to 20 age-, site-, and histology-matched controls. These patients were analyzed for demographic data, American Society of Anesthetic risk scores, stage, tumor site, and pre- and postoperative medical problems. The mean occurrence of medical problems preoperatively was 1.1 occurrences per patient for the flap group and 1.5 occurrences per patient for the control group. Postoperatively, there were 0.75 occurrences per flap group and 0.9 occurrences for the control group. Neither of these was statistically significant. The length of hospitalization was 13.5 days for the control group and 15.9 days for the flap group. Again, this was not statistically significant. The only significant statistic difference was the length of the procedure: 6.95 hours for the control group and 11.0 hours for the flap group, which had a p value of less than 0.001. In conclusion, this study indicates that length of procedure alone should not be a determining factor in deciding whether or not to use immediate microvascular reconstruction in head and neck cancer patients.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Immediate free flap mandibular reconstruction: significance of adequate surgical margins.

The pathologic records of 182 consecutive patients who had mandible resections were reviewed to determine the incidence of positive margins in the bone specimens and the risk factors associated with positive margins. Of the 182 cases reviewed, 82 (45%) were found to have involvement of the mandible at the time of resection and four (2%) were found to have positive margins. The predominant tumor histology was squamous cell carcinoma, 148 of 182 (81%), followed in frequency by osteosarcoma 12 of 182 (7%), salivary gland tumors 13 of 182 (7%), and miscellaneous other tumors (nine of 182 (5%). Of the four tumors with positive margins, two (50%) were squamous cell carcinomas, one (25%) was an osteosarcoma, and one (25%) was a salivary gland tumor. All four tumors were large tumors that had failed to respond to previous therapy. All obviously involved the mandible at the time of presentation. This study demonstrates that the incidence of bone margin involvement after mandibulectomy is rare and predictable and that clinical selection of candidates for immediate reconstruction is reliable in preventing inappropriate use of free bone flaps in patients at risk for positive bone margins.

Adenoma, Pleomorphic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Lymphoma presenting as a salivary gland mass.

A retrospective review of 36 cases of lymphoma presenting as a salivary gland mass was conducted over a 34-year period. A significant increase in the occurrence of lymphoma was noted in proportion to other salivary gland tumors (P less than 0.01, chi 2 analysis: 1954-1972, 11 of 714 (1.5%); 1973-1979, 9 of 201 (4.5%); 1980-1987, 16 of 265 (6.0%). The mean age was 61 years, sex distribution was equal, and 75% occurred in the parotid. Only 42% presented with signs or symptoms other than a painless mass. Glandular excision was done in early stages of the disease while biopsy was done at later stages. Frozen section analysis was accurate in all but one case and was useful in determining if biopsy were adequate. All patients were definitively treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Several instructive points are apparent. Any patient presenting with an isolated salivary gland mass can have a lymphoma. There has, in fact, been a significantly increasing proportion of salivary gland lymphoma among the various salivary gland tumors in our patient population. In contrast to other salivary gland tumors, surgery is reserved for diagnosis and not for treatment. A lymph node biopsy may be sufficient to establish a diagnosis, in which case, glandular excision is unnecessary. Most of the patients presented with an asymptomatic isolated salivary gland mass. The presence of adjacent adenopathy, a rubbery feel to the mass, and the intraoperative appearance were the most suggestive signs of lymphoma. Frozen section analysis is helpful in determining the appropriate extent of surgery and is recommended.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Risk of recurrence after treatment of early breast cancer with skin-sparing mastectomy.

BACKGROUND: Skin-sparing mastectomy, combined with immediate breast reconstruction, has become increasingly popular. However, there are no published long-term data to support its oncologic safety. Our purpose was to evaluate the long-term oncologic risk of skin-sparing mastectomy. METHODS: The records of all patients who had undergone treatment of T1 or T2 breast cancer by mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction, and who were followed for at least 5 years or developed recurrence of disease before that time were reviewed. Local and distant recurrence rates observed in patients treated by skin-sparing mastectomy were compared with those in patients treated by conventional, non-skin-sparing mastectomy. RESULTS: A total of 104 patients were treated with skin-sparing mastectomies. In that group, 6.7% developed local recurrences, 12.5% developed distant metastases, 88.5% remained free of disease, and 7.7% died of their disease. Among the 27 patients who did not have skin-sparing mastectomies. 7.4% had local recurrences, 25.9% had distant metastases, 74.1% remained free of disease, and 18.5% died of disease. These recurrence rates are similar to those reported elsewhere after treatment with conventional mastectomy and without reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that skin-sparing mastectomy does not significantly increase the risk of local or systemic disease recurrence in patients with early breast cancer.

Breast Neoplasms↗