Salvage surgery after radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer : From endoscopic resections to open-neck partial and total laryngectomies

Objective: To evaluate our experience in management of radiotherapy failure using endoscopic resection (ER) with carbon dioxide laser, open-neck partial laryngectomy (ONPL), and total laryngectomy. Design: Retrospective medical record review. Setting: Referral university hospital. Patients: Seventy-one patients with laryngeal cancer previously treated with radiotherapy (69 patients) and chemoradiotherapy (2 patients) underwent salvage surgery. Interventions: The treatment policy encompassed ER for glottic rT1a, rT1b with limited anterior commissure involvement, and rT2 with normal cord mobility carcinoma. All ONPLs were performed for rT1 and rT2 tumors with suboptimal endoscopic exposure, rT2 tumors with impaired cord mobility or transcommissural extension, and rT3 tumors for limited paraglottic space invasion or involvement of the inner portion of the thyroid cartilage. Total laryngectomy was planned in patients who were not suitable for partial laryngectomy owing to poor general condition, for rT3 carcinoma with massive involvement of the paraglottic space, and for rT4a tumors. Main Outcome Measures: Clinical, radiologic, surgical, and pathologic data. Survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Comparisons between different variables were performed using the log-rank test. Results: Salvage surgery consisted of ER in 22 patients, ONPL in 15, and total laryngectomy in 34. The pT category after salvage surgery was pT1 in 12 patients, pT2 in 20, pT3 in 20, and pT4a in 19. Five-year diseasespecific and disease-free survival and laryngeal preservation for the entire series were 72%, 61%, and 40%, respectively. Conclusions: Survival rates for the entire series were not different from those previously reported using a more aggressive surgical approach without attempts at organ preservation. The laryngeal preservation rate justifies conservative treatment in the presence of limited recurrent lesions

Evidence for perinatal and child health care guidelines in crisis settings: can Cochrane help?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is important that healthcare provided in crisis settings is based on the best available research evidence. We reviewed guidelines for child and perinatal health care in crisis situations to determine whether they were based on research evidence, whether Cochrane systematic reviews were available in the clinical areas addressed by these guidelines and whether summaries of these reviews were provided in Evidence Aid.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Broad internet searches were undertaken to identify relevant guidelines. Guidelines were appraised using AGREE and the clinical areas that were relevant to perinatal or child health were extracted. We searched The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews to identify potentially relevant reviews. For each review we determined how many trials were included, and how many were conducted in resource-limited settings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Six guidelines met selection criteria. None of the included guidelines were clearly based on research evidence. 198 Cochrane reviews were potentially relevant to the guidelines. These reviews predominantly addressed nutrient supplementation, breastfeeding, malaria, maternal hypertension, premature labour and prevention of HIV transmission. Most reviews included studies from developing settings. However for large portions of the guidelines, particularly health services delivery, there were no relevant reviews. Only 18 (9.1%) reviews have summaries in Evidence Aid.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We did not identify any evidence-based guidelines for perinatal and child health care in disaster settings. We found many Cochrane reviews that could contribute to the evidence-base supporting future guidelines. However there are important issues to be addressed in terms of the relevance of the available reviews and increasing the number of reviews addressing health care delivery.</p

Management of external blunt and penetrating laryngo-tracheal traumas: Diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms.

none5A.Bolzoni; C. Piazza; F. Garrubba; G. Peretti; A.R. AntonelliA., Bolzoni; C., Piazza; F., Garrubba; Peretti, Giorgio; A. R., Antonell