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Purpose:Neoadjuvant targeted therapy provides a brief, preoperative window of opportunity that can be exploited to individualize cancer care based on treatment response. We investigated whether response to neoadjuvant therapy during the preoperative window confers survival benefit in patients with operable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Patients and Methods:A pooled analysis of treatment-naïve patients with operable HNSCC enrolled in one of three clinical trials from 2009 to 2020 (NCT00779389, NCT01218048, NCT02473731). Neoadjuvant regimens consisted of EGFR inhibitors (n = 83) or anti-ErbB3 antibody therapy (n = 9) within 28 days of surgery. Clinical to pathologic stage migration was compared with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) while adjusting for confounding factors using multivariable Cox regression. Circulating tumor markers validated in other solid tumor models were analyzed.Results:92 of 118 patients were analyzed; all patients underwent surgery following neoadjuvant therapy. Clinical to pathologic downstaging was more frequent in patients undergoing neoadjuvant targeted therapy compared with control cohort (P = 0.048). Patients with pathologic downstage migration had the highest OS [89.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 75.7–100] compared with those with no stage change (58%; 95% CI, 46.2–69.8) or upstage (40%; 95% CI, 9.6–70.4; P = 0.003). Downstage migration remained a positive prognostic factor for OS (HR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.05–0.90) while adjusting for measured confounders. Downstage migration correlated with decreased circulating tumor markers, SOX17 and TAC1 (P = 0.0078).Conclusions:Brief neoadjuvant therapy achieved pathologic downstaging in a subset of patients and was associated with significantly better DFS and OS as well as decreased circulating methylated SOX17 and TAC1.

We developed a high efficiency endocrine operative protocol based on a mathematical programming approach, process reengineering, and value-stream mapping to increase the number of operations completed per day without increasing operating room time at a tertiary-care, academic center.Using this protocol, a case-control study of 72 patients undergoing endocrine operation during high efficiency days were age, sex, and procedure-matched to 72 patients undergoing operation during standard days. The demographic profile, operative times, and perioperative complications were noted.The average number of cases per 8-hour workday in the high efficiency and standard operating rooms were 7 and 5, respectively. Mean procedure times in both groups were similar. The turnaround time (mean ± standard deviation) in the high efficiency group was 8.5 (±2.7) minutes as compared with 15.4 (±4.9) minutes in the standard group (P .001). Transient postoperative hypocalcemia was 6.9% (5/72) and 8.3% (6/72) for the high efficiency and standard groups, respectively (P = .99).In this study, patients undergoing high efficiency endocrine operation had similar procedure times and perioperative complications compared with the standard group. The proposed high efficiency protocol seems to better utilize operative time and decrease the backlog of patients waiting for endocrine operation in a country with a universal national health care program.

Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) frequently present with severe sinonasal disease often requiring radiologic imaging and surgical intervention. Few studies have focused on the relationship between radiologic scoring systems and the need for sinus surgery in this population. The objective of this study is to evaluate the Lund-Mackay (LM) and modified Lund-Mackay (m-LM) scoring systems in predicting the need for sinus surgery or revision surgery in patients with CF.We performed a retrospective chart review of CF patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) sinus imaging at a tertiary care pediatric hospital from 1995 to 2008. Patient scans were scored using both the LM and m-LM systems and compared to the rate of sinus surgery or revision surgery. Receiver-operator characteristics curves (ROC) were used to analyze the radiological scoring systems.A total of 41 children with CF were included in the study. The mean LM score for patients undergoing surgery was 17.3 (±3.1) compared to 11.5 (±6.2) for those treated medically (p0.01). For the m-LM, the mean score of patients undergoing surgery was 20.3 (±3.5) and 13.5 (±7.3) for those medically treated (p0.01). Using a ROC curve with a threshold score of 13 for the LM, the sensitivity was 89.3% (95% CI of 72-98) and specificity of 69.2% (95% CI of 39-91). At an optimal score of 19, the m-LM system produced a sensitivity of 67.7% (95% CI of 48-84) and specificity of 84.6% (95% CI of 55-98).The modified Lund-Mackay score provides a high specificity while the Lund-Mackay score a high sensitivity for CF patients who required sinus surgery. The combination of both radiologic scoring systems can potentially predict the need for surgery in this population.

An array of genetic syndromes has been associated with intra-oral adhesions in neonates. The primary medical issues arise from airway obstruction, feeding difficulties and poor oral development, specifically with cleft palate lateral synechia syndrome (CPLSS). Despite this, a paucity of data exists for the clinical management of intra-oral adhesions in this population. We report the cases of a father and daughter diagnosed with CPLSS who presented with respiratory and feeding difficulties at birth undergoing surgical correction. Early surgical ligation of intra-oral bands allows for a stabilization of the airway, improved feeding and oral development with a good long-term outcome.

Summary Background In-office laryngeal surgery is taking on a more commonplace role in the treatment of laryngeal disorders. The potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser has been a resourceful adjunct to the management of patients with mucosal lesions of the vocal cords. However, a paucity of data exists for its use in postintubation granulomas treated in-office. Clinical Case A 43-year-old female presented with voice hoarseness and found to have a large obstructing postintubation granuloma which was treated by in-office KTP laser and en masse excision. Conclusions We report the successful case of a patient receiving in-office treatment for a large vocal process granuloma using the KTP laser with en masse excision. The combined use of the KTP laser and forceps in-office can be valuable to the surgical management of vocal process granulomas, given their numerous recurrences. New avenues in office-based surgical management of laryngeal disorders can offer accessibility and decreased morbidity to patients.