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Biomedical subjects

S P Stringer

Publications and source records attributed to S P Stringer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Postoperative irradiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: an analysis of treatment results and complications.

One hundred thirty-four patients with advanced head and neck cancer were treated with radical surgery and postoperative radiation therapy between October 1964 and October 1984. All patients had greater than or equal to 2 years and 84% had greater than or equal to 5 years of follow-up. All patients included in the study were scheduled to receive continuous-course irradiation following a major cancer operation for previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx and began radiation treatment less than or equal to 3 months after the surgical procedure. Ninety-six percent had AJCC pathologic Stage III or IV cancer, and all were without evidence of gross disease at the start of irradiation. The majority of recurrences above the clavicles occurred in the primary field (84%) as opposed to the posterior strip (8%) or low neck (8%). Based on multivariate analysis and tabular comparisons, 4 factors were found to be significantly important for predicting disease control above the clavicles: (a) Surgical margin (5-year actuarial control with invasive cancer at the margin, 53%, versus 81% with negative margins, p = .009). Patients with close margins or in situ cancer at the margins had the same rate of control as those with negative margins. (b) Primary site (oral cavity, 64%, versus other sites, 83%; p = .029). (c) Neck Stage (N0-1 versus N2-3). (d) Number of indications for irradiation--for example, bone invasion, multiple positive nodes, perineural invasion (1-3 indications, 85%, versus greater than or equal to 4, 62%; p = .06). The rate of disease control above the clavicles did not correlate well with AJCC pathologic stage: Stage I-II, 67%; Stage III, 81%; Stage IVA (T1-3, N2-3A), 68%; Stage IVB (T4 and/or N3B), 80%. The interval between surgery and the start of irradiation (range 1-10 weeks) also was not prognostically important, even with stratification by tumor dose, surgical margin, and number of indications for irradiation. At 5 years, the actuarial survival rate was 33% for the entire group; for patients with invasive cancer at the margin, the survival rate was approximately half that of those whose margins were free of invasive cancer (17% versus 37%). Based on multivariate analysis, 2 factors were found to significantly increase the probability of death due to cancer: (a) neck Stage (N0-1 versus N2-3); (b) extension of tumor from the primary site into the skin or soft tissues of the neck.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult

A randomized trial for outpatient management of peritonsillar abscess.

In order to compare the efficacy of permucosal needle drainage with that of incision and drainage in the outpatient management of peritonsillar abscess, 52 patients with aspiration-proven peritonsillar abscess were entered into a randomized, prospective protocol. A symptomatic scale scoring system was employed to evaluate treatment results. In the needle drainage group, 92% (22/24) were cured with a single aspiration. Ninety-three percent (26/28) of the patients in the incision and drainage group were cured on the initial attempt. The remainder of the patients in both groups were cured with a single retreatment. Only one patient required hospitalization, and no patients required tonsillectomy to resolve the abscess. These data indicate that outpatient permucosal needle drainage of peritonsillar abscess is an acceptable, inexpensive treatment comparing favorably with incision and drainage.

Adolescent

Twice-a-day radiotherapy for T3 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx.

Between March 1978 and April 1986, 21 previously untreated patients with T3 squamous cell carcinoma of the true vocal cord received radical courses of twice-a-day radiotherapy (120 cGy twice daily) to total doses of 7,440-7,680 cGy. The rate of local control at the primary site was 67% after radiotherapy. The ultimate control rate after salvage surgery was 83%. Five-year absolute and cause-specific survival rates were 59% and 81%, respectively. It is concluded that radiotherapy is a rational approach for many patients with T3 glottic cancer.

Adult

Radiotherapy after excisional biopsy of carcinoma of the oral tongue/floor of the mouth.

This is an analysis of 16 patients with excisionally biopsied (TXN0) squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue (nine patients) and floor of mouth (seven patients) treated with radiotherapy. All patients had a minimum 2-year follow-up and 81% had at least 5 years of follow-up. One patient died of intercurrent disease 16 months after treatment and was excluded from analysis of local control. All patients were evaluable for analysis of survival and complications. Local control was achieved in 14 of 15 patients; one patient with local recurrence underwent a surgical salvage procedure, which was unsuccessful. No patients developed recurrent disease in the neck or in distant sites. Five-year absolute and cause-specific survival rates were 10 of 13 and 10 of 11, respectively.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell

Carcinoma of the skin of the head and neck with perineural invasion.

This is an analysis of 25 patients with carcinoma of the skin of the head and neck with clinical evidence of perineural invasion, who were managed with curative intent by radiotherapy alone (16) or surgery and radiotherapy (9). All patients had a minimum of 5 years of follow-up. Local control following treatment was observed in 20% of patients treated with radiotherapy alone and 38% of those treated with surgery and radiotherapy. Local control was diminished for recurrent lesions and for tumors that also invaded bone and/or cartilage. The 5-year absolute survival rates were 31% for patients treated with radiotherapy alone and 33% for those in the combined-treatment group. The incidence of significant complications was similar: 25% with radiotherapy alone and 33% with surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Neck dissection after twice-a-day radiotherapy: morbidity and recurrence rates.

Between March 1978 and April 1986, 56 patients underwent planned unilateral, and five patients underwent planned bilateral, radical neck dissections following high-dose twice-a-day radiotherapy, usually with 60Co. Neck dissections were generally performed 6 weeks after radiotherapy. The overall rate of control of disease in the neck in all 61 patients was 81% at 5 years. Patients who underwent neck dissections following radiotherapy had significantly higher rates of neck-disease control than patients treated by radiotherapy alone during the same time period for stages N2A-N3A and N2B-N3B, but not for N1 disease. No carotid ruptures or fatal complications occurred. The rate of wound complications was judged to be acceptable.

Head and Neck Neoplasms

Carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx: a basis for comparing the results of radiotherapy and surgery.

An analysis of 129 patients with 131 squamous cell carcinomas of the supraglottic larynx treated between October 1964 and April 1987 with radiotherapy alone or radiotherapy followed by neck dissection is presented. All patients had a minimum 2-year follow-up. Patients were excluded from analysis of disease control at the primary site and/or neck if they died within 2 years of treatment with the site(s) continuously disease-free. Local control rates with radiotherapy and ultimate local control rates, including patients successfully salvaged after a local recurrence, were as follows: T1, 13 of 13 and 13 of 13; T2, 34 of 42 (81%) and 37 of 42 (88%); T3, 25 of 41 (61%) and 34 of 41 (83%); and T4, 3 of 9 and 6 of 9. There was no significant difference in local control rates when comparing patients who were anatomically suitable for a supraglottic laryngectomy with those who would have required a total laryngectomy. Local control rates were slightly diminished in patients with T2-T3 lesions who had impaired or absent vocal cord mobility. The overall rates of ultimate local control with voice preservation for the entire series of 129 patients were as follows: T1, 100%; T2, 87%; T3, 69%; and T4, 57%. Cause-specific survival rates at 5 years by stage were I, 2 of 2; II, 10 of 12 (83%); III, 9 of 13 (69%); IVA, 4 of 6; and IVB, 7 of 22 (32%). The incidence of severe complications was 4 of 115 (3%) for T1-T3 lesions and 4 of 14 (29%) for T4 lesions.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell

Cancer in neck nodes with unknown primary site: role of mucosal radiotherapy.

Sixty-nine patients with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in neck nodes with an unknown primary lesion were treated with curative intent between October 1964 and December 1986. Sixty-five patients received radiotherapy to the neck and at least part of the mucosa of the head and neck, whereas 4 patients received treatment to the neck only. Mucosal doses were approximately 5,000 cGy-6,000 cGy at 170 cGy-180 cGy per fraction. Eight patients (12%) subsequently developed mucosal site failures, a figure that did not differ significantly from the incidence of a second metachronous head and neck cancer following definitive irradiation in a series of 393 patients with lesions of the supraglottic larynx, pharyngeal wall, pyriform sinus, or tonsillar area. This suggests that radiotherapy was highly effective in preventing the appearance of cancer at the unknown primary site from which the neck metastasis arose. Absolute and cause-specific 5-year survival rates were 48% and 66%, respectively.

Adult

Incisional or excisional neck-node biopsy before definitive radiotherapy, alone or followed by neck dissection.

An analysis of 508 patients (660 heminecks) with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and clinically positive neck nodes who were treated with radiotherapy alone to the primary lesion (with or without a neck dissection) was conducted to determine if open neck-node biopsy before definitive treatment adversely affected the probability of control of neck disease, the risk of distant metastasis, or the cause-specific survival rate. The prognostic factors analyzed included biopsy status of the neck, N stage, neck treatment, node mobility, node location, T stage, primary site, and control of disease above the clavicles. Sixty-six patients who had undergone an open neck-node biopsy before definitive radiotherapy were compared with a control group of 442 patients who did not undergo a neck-node biopsy; no detrimental effect of the biopsy on neck control, distant metastasis, or cause-specific survival was demonstrated. We conclude that the potential adverse effect of violating the neck before definitive treatment cannot be demonstrated if radiotherapy is the next step in the patient's management.

Biopsy

Carcinoma of the skin metastatic to parotid area lymph nodes.

This is a retrospective analysis of 60 patients with previously untreated metatypical basal cell (3 patients) or squamous cell (57 patients) carcinoma of the skin, metastatic to the parotid area. All patients had a minimum 2-year follow-up, and 43% had a minimum 5-year follow-up. Treatment was surgery alone (8 patients), irradiation alone (16 patients), or planned combined surgery and irradiation (36 patients). The ultimate rates of control of disease in the parotid area were surgery alone, 5 of 8 (63%); irradiation alone, 6 of 13 (46%); planned combined surgery and irradiation, 32 of 36 (89%). In the combined-treated group, all 4 recurrences were in patients who had positive surgical margins and gross involvement of the facial nerve. In patients with negative surgical margins, without involvement of the facial nerve, who had combined treatment, the control rate was 100%. Of the surgery-alone group, only 1 patient ultimately had the disease controlled and retained a functioning facial nerve.

Adult

Carcinoma of the oral tongue: a comparison of results and complications of treatment with radiotherapy and/or surgery.

BACKGROUND: Oral tongue cancer may be treated primarily with radiotherapy or with surgery alone or combined with adjuvant radiotherapy; the choice between these two approaches is controversial. METHODS: To evaluate the results of a shift in treatment policy in 1985 in favor of primary surgical treatment for carcinoma of the oral tongue, the results of radiotherapy (with or without neck dissection, 105 patients) were compared with those for surgery (with or without radiotherapy, 65 patients). RESULTS: Local control rates were improved for T3 (p = .03) and 14 (p = .08) patients treated surgically but were similar for T1-T2 patients. Local-regional control and survival rates were not significantly different. The rate of severe complications was significantly higher (p = .01) for T3 patients treated with surgery, particularly in the subset of patients who received postoperative radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: We generally recommend surgical treatment for T1-T2 patients with the addition of postoperative twice-a-day radiotherapy in selected cases. For selected T3-T4 patients we are investigating split-course twice-a-day preoperative radiotherapy in the hope that the extent of the surgical procedure, and hence the rate of severe complications, will be reduced.

Adult

Radiotherapy for Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: Merkel cell carcinoma is a relatively rare neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. It arises in the head and neck region in approximately 50% of cases. Its aggressive behavior predisposes patients to local-regional recurrence and distant metastases after surgical excision alone. In this article, we describe our experience with Merkel cell carcinoma of the head and neck. METHODS: Of 18 patients with Merkel cell carcinoma treated in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Florida, 12 patients who had primary tumors in the head and neck region are reported. Eight patients were treated at initial diagnosis (group A), and four were treated at the time of local-regional recurrence (group B). RESULTS: Local-regional control was achieved in seven of eight patients in group A and all four patients in group B. One patient in group A and all patients in group B developed distant metastases and eventually died of their disease. Bone exposure developed in one patient, requiring surgical debridement and hyperbaric oxygen treatment. CONCLUSION: Patients with Merkel cell carcinoma of the head and neck should be treated aggressively. Our data suggest that local-regional recurrence is a harbinger of distant metastases. We recommend that these patients receive treatment to both the primary site and draining lymphatics at initial presentation. The role of chemotherapy remains unclear.

Aged

Retropharyngeal adenopathy as a predictor of outcome in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: Little information about the incidence of retropharyngeal adenopathy and its impact on prognosis has been published. METHODS: For 774 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or supraglottic larynx, pretreatment CT and, in selected cases, MRI scans were reviewed to determine the presence of retropharyngeal adenopathy. Results were analyzed in 619 patients treated with curative intent to determine the prognostic impact of retropharyngeal adenopathy. RESULTS: The highest incidence of retropharyngeal adenopathy was seen in patients with nasopharyngeal (74%) and pharyngeal wall (19%) cancers. The number of cervical nodal groups involved was the most significant factor (p < .0001) relating to the incidence of retropharyngeal adenopathy. The rates of neck relapse (40% at 5 years) and distant metastasis were significantly higher in patients with retropharyngeal adenopathy, and the rates of 5-year relapse-free survival and absolute survival were significantly lower. CONCLUSIONS: Retropharyngeal adenopathy is a strong predictor of poor prognosis, particularly for patients with advanced neck disease.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell

T1-T2 vocal cord carcinoma: a basis for comparing the results of radiotherapy and surgery.

This is an analysis of 304 patients with invasive, previously untreated T1-T2 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx treated with radiotherapy between October 1964 and December 1984. All patients had a minimum 2-year follow-up and 82% had at least 5 years of follow-up. Patients were excluded from the analysis of local control if they died within 2 years of treatment with the primary site continuously disease-free. Patients were staged according to the AJCC system and stratified by the surgical procedure that would have been required to resect the tumor. Stage T2 was subdivided into two subsets: T2a (normal mobility) and T2b (decreased mobility). The rates of local control with radiotherapy and the ultimate rates of local control, including patients salvaged surgically for a local recurrence, were as follows: T1, 159 of 171 (93%) and 166 of 171 (97%); T2a, 50 of 65 (77%) and 63 of 65 (97%); and T2b, 31 of 43 (72%) and 38 of 43 (88%). The rate of local control for patients with T1 lesions limited to one cord was not influenced by tumor extension to the anterior commissure. The overall incidence of serious complications was 5 of 304 (1.6%). The 5-year determinate survival rates were as follows: T1, 130 of 134 (97%); T2a, 43 of 46 (93%); and T2b, 29 of 33 (88%).

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell

Adult parapharyngeal extracardiac rhabdomyoma.

The case of a parapharyngeal adult extracardiac rhabdomyoma (ER) in a 69-year-old man is presented focusing on computed tomographic diagnosis, surgical approach, and pathologic diagnosis. Although a rare neoplasm, adult ER has a propensity for occurring in the head and neck. Systematic computed tomography evaluation with contrast serves to define the extent of the lesion and assist in the differential diagnosis of parapharyngeal masses. In this case, a transcervical extra-pharyngeal approach for excision was utilized with minimal associated morbidity and a rapid return of normal function. Careful pathologic diagnosis is required to distinguish ER from other neoplasms, especially granular cell myoblastoma.

Aged

Advances in radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

Selected advances in radiotherapy for treatment of head and neck cancer are reviewed. These include the role of postoperative radiotherapy, planned postirradiation neck dissection, altered fractionation, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy for laryngeal preservation, three-dimensional conformal treatment planning, charged particle irradiation for skull base tumors, and stereotactic radiosurgery.

Chemotherapy, Adjuvant