• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.7309-7313
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• 2015

Background: The organ preservation approach of choice for the treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancers is concurrent chemoradiation with three weekly high doses of cisplatin. Although this is an efficacious treatment policy, it has high acute systemic and mucosal toxicities, which lead to frequent treatment breaks and increased overall treatment time. Hence, the current study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of concurrent chemoradiation using 40 mg/m2 weekly cisplatin. Materials and Methods: This is a single institutional retrospective study including the data of 266 locally advanced head and neck cancer patients who were treated with concurrent chemoradiation using 40 mg/m2 weekly cisplatin from January 2012 to January 2014. A p-value of < 0.05 was taken to be significant statistically for all purposes in the study. Results: The mean age of the study patients was 48.8 years. Some 36.1% of the patients had oral cavity primary tumors. The mean overall treatment time was 57.2 days. With a mean follow up of 15.2 months for all study patients and 17.5 months for survivors, 3 year local control, locoregional control and disease free survival were seen in 62.8%, 42.8% and 42.1% of the study patients. Primary tumor site, nodal stage of disease, AJCC stage of the disease and number of cycles of weekly cisplatin demonstrated statistically significant correlations with 3 year local control, locoregional control and disease free survival. Conclusions: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with moderate dose weekly cisplatin is an efficacious treatment regime for locally advanced head and neck cancers with tolerable toxicity which can be used in developing countries with limited resources.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.191-195
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• 2000

Objectives: Despite various attempts to preserve the normal voice in advanced laryngeal cancer, it is inevitable for many advanced laryngeal cancer patients to undergo total laryngectomy and thus making a trade off between quality and quantity of life. Laryngectomees are faced with voice loss, change in physical appearance and health deterioration which hinder their efforts to rehabilitate back into their family and employment leading to poor quality of life. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the quality of life in long term surviving laryngectomees to, define the factors which are most important in determining their present quality of life and to propose a theoretical model for quality of life after laryngectomy in Korea. Materials and Methods: From 1986 to 1995, 120 laryngectomees with no evidence of disease were followed up for at least 3years were evaluated. Each of 15 quality of life domains with a total of ten points were given for a quality of life score. Results: There was no significant difference in the physical-mental adaptation index such as general health and mental health between the laryngectomees and control group(p>0.05). However, social adaptation index such as social activity, occupational status and economic status for laryngectomees were significantly lower with 2.3, 3.5, and 4.4 points compared to control group with 8.5, 7.6, and 7.1 points respectively(p<0.05). Conclusion : Vocational and social rehabilitation should be emphasized with highest priority for improving their economic status and thus improving their quality of life.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2018

With the emerging knowledge about tumor biology specific for human papillomavirus (HPV)-related head and neck cancers, the classical understanding about the curative surgery in head and neck cancers are starting to progress, customized for their HPV-associations and ultimately specific for tumor biologic characteristics. The common rule for surgery should reflect the biologic characteristics of target tumors, but still, multi-institutional large-scale data could be scarce, due to the subjective feature of surgical treatment itself. However, the impact of HPV for margin determination is now being questioned by multiple groups, and typical example is European Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)-3311 study. Here, we review the impact of viral association for surgical decision and its biological background and implications.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.10 no.1 s.19
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• pp.41-45
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• 2004

Tracheostomy and endotracheal intubation are often performed in patients with acute and chronic respiratory failure. Recently, the incidence of iatrogenic tracheal stenosis has increased. Tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis would be one of the most physiologic treatment options for severe tracheal stenosis. Also, this treatment can be applied to the management of trachea invaded by thyroid cancer and tracheal neoplasm. The authors aimed to analyze the outcomes of end-to-end anastomosis of trachea following segmental resection in tracheal stenosis and tracheal invasion of cancer that we have recently experienced. Materials and methods Authors retrospectively studied 19 cases treated by tracheal resection with end-to-end anastomosis between Feburuary 1996 and January 2003. 12 patients had tracheal stenosis, 6 patients had tracheal invasion by thryroid cancer and 1 patient had tracheal cancer. We analyzed the direct causes of tracheal stenosis, preoperative vocal cord function, operation technique, early and delayed postoperative complications, and the outcome of end-to-end anastomois. Result Decannulation without significant aspiration was achieved in 16 cases($89.5\%$). A 27 year-old man could not be decannulated because of restenosis. A 62 year-old woman could not be decannulated because of bilateral vocal cord palsy. Conclusion End-to-end anastomosis is a safe and effective surgical method for tracheal stenosis. Case selection for end-to-end anastomosis and preservation of recurrent laryngeal nerve during operation is very important.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5579-5587
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• 2013

Research indicates that a small population of cancer cells is highly tumorigenic, endowed with the capacity for self-renewal, and has the ability to differentiate into cells that constitute the bulk of tumors. These cells are considered the "drivers" of the tumorigenic process in some tumor types, and have been named cancer stem cells (CSC). Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) appears to be involved in the process leading to the acquisition of stemness by epithelial tumor cells. Through this process, cells acquire an invasive phenotype that may contribute to tumor recurrence and metastasis. CSC have been identified in human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) using markers such as CD133 and CD44 expression, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. Head and neck cancer stem cells reside primarily in perivascular niches in the invasive fronts where endothelial-cell initiated events contribute to their survival and function. Clinically, CSC enrichment has been shown to be enhanced in recurrent disease, treatment failure and metastasis. CSC represent a novel target of study given their slow growth and innate mechanisms conferring treatment resistance. Further understanding of their unique phenotype may reveal potential molecular targets to improve therapeutic and survival outcomes in patients with HNSCC. Here, we discuss the state-of-the-knowledge on the pathobiology of cancer stem cells, with a focus on the impact of these cells on head and neck tumor progression, metastasis and recurrence due to treatment failure.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2013

Purpose: Compared to conventional radiotherapy (RT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) significantly reduces the rate of treatment-induced late toxicities in head and neck cancer. However, a clear survival benefit of IMRT over conventional RT has not yet been shown. This study is among the first comparative study to compare the survival rates between conventional RT and helical tomotherapy in head and neck cancer. Materials and Methods: From January 2008 to November 2011, 37 patients received conventional RT and 30 patients received helical tomotherapy for management of head and neck cancer. We retrospectively compared the survival rates between patients treated with conventional RT and helical tomotherapy, and analyzed the prognostic factors for survival. Results: The 1- and 2-year locoregional recurrence-free survival rates were 61.2% and 58.1% for the conventional RT group, 89.3% and 80.3% for the helical tomotherapy group, respectively. The locoregional recurrence-free survival rates of the helical tomotherapy group were significantly higher than conventional RT group (p = 0.029). There were no significant differences in the overall and distant metastasis-free survival between the two groups. RT technique, tumor stage, and RT duration were significant prognostic factors for locoregional recurrence-free survival. Conclusion: This study showed the locoregional recurrence-free survival benefits of helical tomotherapy in the treatment of head and neck cancers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4853-4858
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• 2013

Objectives: To investigate whether hypoxia has an effect on regulation of multidrug resistance (MDR) to chemotherapeutic drugs in laryngeal carcinoma cells and explore the role of hypoxia-inducible factor-$1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$). Methods: Laryngeal cancer cells were cultured under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The sensitivity of the cells to multiple drugs and levels of apoptosis induced by paclitaxel were determined by MTT assay and annexin-V/propidium iodide staining analysis, respectively. HIF-$1{\alpha}$ expression was blocked by RNA interference. The expression of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ gene was detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. The value of fluorescence intensity of intracellular adriamycin accumulation and retention in cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. Results: The sensitivity to multiple chemotherapy agents and induction of apoptosis by paclitaxel could be reduced by hypoxia (P<0.05). A the same time, the adriamycin releasing index of cells was increased (P<0.05). However, resistance acquisition subject to hypoxia in vitro was suppressed by down-regulating HIF-$1{\alpha}$ expression. Conclusion: HIF-$1{\alpha}$ could be considered as a key regulator for mediating hypoxia-induced MDR in laryngeal cancer cells via inhibition of drug-induced apoptosis and decrease in intracellular drug accumulation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4619-4622
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• 2012

Whether it is beneficial to dissect level V in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients with positive lateral neck lymph nodes at levels II-IV is still controversial, especially for low risk cases. In this study, we reviewed the medical records of 47 patients who underwent 47 ipsilateral selective lateral neck dissections (levels II-IV) for previously untreated papillary thyroid carcinomas between October 2006 and October 2008 to assist in establishing the optimal strategy for lateral neck dissection in low risk PTC patients with clinically negative level V nodes. All 47 patients were confirmed to have positive lymph nodes pathologically. Seventeen (36.12%), 36 (76.6%), and 34 (72.34%) patients had positive lymph nodes in levels II, III, and IV, respectively. The mean number of pathologically positive lymph nodes was 1.7 in level II, 2.9 in level III, 2.8 in level IV. No death and distant metastasis were recorded during follow up period. Just 2 patients exhibited recurrence to lymph nodes, and only one showed nodal recurrence in ipsilateral level V, who had positive lymph nodes in all of levels II, III, and IV at initial neck surgery. In conclusion, for PTC low risk patients with clinically negative lymph nodes in level V, non-performance of level V dissection would still achieve good survival results as traditional modified radical neck dissection, with a "wait and see" strategy to be recommended.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.118-121
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• 2012

Backgrounds : To evaluated the use of FDG PET/CT for the identification of extracapsular spread(ECS) with histologic correlation in laryngeal cancer. Methods : We reviewed 79 medical records of patients who underwent of FDG PET/CT for laryngeal cancer before surgery. Results : ECS was present in 41.9%(18/43) dissected necks and in 34.5%(20/58) dissected cervical levels. There was a significant difference in the SUVmax between cervical lymph nodes with ECS and without ECS($6.39{\pm}4.53$ vs. $1.19{\pm}1.64$, p<0.001). The cut-off value for the SUVmax for differentiating with ECS from without ECS was 2.8 with the sensitivity of 85.7% and the specificity of 85.6%. Conclusion : The median SUVmax cut-off values of FDG PET/CT higher than 2.8 was associated with greater risk cervical lymph node metastasis with ECS in patients with laryngeal cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4805-4809
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• 2013

Background: In this study, our aim was to investigate the effect of factors, such as radiotherapy, the dose of radiotherapy, the region of radiotherapy, the age of the patient, performance, co-morbidity, the stage of the disease and the therapy modalities on the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer. Materials and Methods: Eighty-two patients who were treated by either chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy, at the Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, between February 2007 and September 2010, for head and neck cancer were included. The quality of life European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, Questionnaire module to be used in Quality of Life assessments in Head and Neck Cancer (EORTC QLQ-H&N35) questionnaire was conducted in all patients before starting the radiotherapy, in the middle, at the end, at 1 month and at 6 months after the treatment. Results: According to the questionnaires at the end and at the $6^{th}$ month after the radiotherapy, it was found that the age of the patient, co-morbidity, ECOG performance state, localization, type of treatment, the stage of the disease, the dose and the region of radiotherapy affect some of the symptom scales for quality of life. Conclusions: Quality of life was affected negatively during and after the radiotherapy. However, in the $6^{th}$ month after the therapy, a significant improvement was observed in most symptoms.