OBJECTIVE:The recommended treatment for cutaneous squamous cell cancer (CuSCC) of the head and neck is Mohs surgical excision or wide local excision. Excision is recommended to a gross surgical margin of 4-6 mm however this is based on limited evidence and specify a goal histologic margin. The objective of this study was therefore to examine the reported histological margin distance following WLE of advanced CuSCC and its association with recurrence and survival. STUDY DESIGN:Retrospective database review. SETTING:All patients included received treatment at UC Davis Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and/or Radiation Oncology in Sacramento, California. SUBJECTS AND METHODS:The patients included were treated for advanced CuSCC with primary surgery with or without adjuvant therapy. Kaplan Meier survival curves with log rank analysis were then performed to compare 5-year recurrence free survival, and disease-specific survival for patients with different margin distances. RESULTS:Total number of subjects was 92. The overall 5-year DSS and RFS was 68.8 and 51.0% respectively. When the pathological margin distance was ≥5 mm, 5-year disease specific survival was improved when compared to margin distance less than 5 mm (94.7 vs 60.7 p = 0.034). CONCLUSION:The findings of this study suggest that a histologic margin of at least 5 mm may increase survival in advanced head and neck CuSCC patients.

Objective

To demonstrate the feasibility of helical tomotherapy (HT)-based intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for the treatment of synchronous primary cancers arising from the head and neck.

Methods

14 consecutive patients with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were determined to have a second primary cancer in the upper aerodigestive tract on further evaluation and were treated with HT using simultaneous integrated boost IMRT. Megavoltage CT scans were acquired daily as part of an image-guided registration protocol. Concurrent platinum-based systemic therapy was given to nine patients (64%).

Results

HT resulted in durable local control in 21 of the 28 primary disease sites irradiated, including a complete clinical and radiographic response initially observed at 17 of the 20 sites with gross tumour. The mean displacements to account for interfraction motion were 2.44 ± 1.25, 2.92 ± 1.09 and 2.31 ± 1.70 mm for the medial-lateral (ML), superior-inferior (SI) and anteroposterior (AP) directions, respectively. Table shifts of >3 mm occurred in 19%, 20% and 22% of the ML, SI and AP directions, respectively. The 2-year estimates of overall survival, local-regional control and progression-free survival were 58%, 73% and 60%, respectively.

Conclusion

The effectiveness of HT for the treatment of synchronous primary cancers of the head and neck was demonstrated.

Advances in knowledge

HT is a feasible option for synchronous primary cancers of the head and neck and can result in long-term disease control with acceptable toxicity in appropriately selected patients.

Due to loss of tactile feedback the assessment of tumor margins during robotic surgery is based only on visual inspection, which is neither significantly sensitive nor specific. Here we demonstrate time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (TRFS) as a novel technique to complement the visual inspection of oral cancers during transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in real-time and without the need for exogenous contrast agents. TRFS enables identification of cancerous tissue by its distinct autofluorescence signature that is associated with the alteration of tissue structure and biochemical profile. A prototype TRFS instrument was integrated synergistically with the da Vinci Surgical robot and the combined system was validated in swine and human patients. Label-free and real-time assessment and visualization of tissue biochemical features during robotic surgery procedure, as demonstrated here, not only has the potential to improve the intraoperative decision making during TORS but also other robotic procedures without modification of conventional clinical protocols.