Head & Neck Oncology: purpose, scope and goals-charting the future

For many years now there has been a growing frustration with the statistics of head and neck cancer. Despite the many advances in diagnosis and therapy, there has been little change in the prognosis for most cancers of the head and neck in the last 50 years, so what is the point of yet another journal? Well, it is not all bad news

Ameloblastic Carcinoma of the mandible

Odontogenic carcinomas are rare lesions arising from dental embryogenic residues and have been designated by a variety of terms like malignant ameloblastoma, ameloblastic carcinoma, metastatic ameloblastoma or primary intra-alveolar epidermoid carcinoma. Ameloblastic carcinoma combines the histological features of ameloblastoma with cytological atypia, even in the absence of metastasis. The lesion has been reported to arise either from the odontogenic cyst or the ameloblastoma. Majority originate de novo and the remaining are malignant transformation of an ameloblastoma

Management of the neck in the setting of definitive chemoradiation: Is there a consensus? A GETTEC study

Background. The management of the neck remains controversial in the definitive chemoradiation setting of advanced N2-3 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Most published data favor omission of neck dissection (ND) after complete response for N2-3 or selective ND for residual disease Methods. We studied the patterns of care in the French-Belgian Groupe d'Etude des Tumeurs de la Tête Et du Cou (GETTEC) through a questionnaire-based survey. Results. Eighteen percent of institutions never performed up-front ND, 20% rarely, 40% sometimes, 14% often, and 8% systematically. Induction chemotherapy was indicated in 30% of the cases, and most ND were performed either between induction and radiation or after chemoradiation for residual disease. Response to chemoradiation was assessed by computed tomographic scan and positron emission tomography in 72% of cases. Selective ND was more common than radical ND. Conclusions. Omission of ND based on computed tomographic scan and positron emission tomography-based complete response to chemoradiation is the most common strategy for advanced nodal disease among centers. However, neck management strategies vary among institutions, and some institutions continue advocating systematic ND before irradiation. The new treatment options and the changing epidemiology, namely docetaxel-based induction chemotherapy and human papilloma virus-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma having better response profiles and prognosis, are adding to the nonconsensual approach. The best therapeutic index in terms of neck management remains to be defined in this evolving context. © 2012 Society of Surgical Oncology