Clinical decision pathway and management of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A multidisciplinary consensus in Asia-Pacific

OBJECTIVES: To develop consensus on patient characteristics and disease-related factors considered in deciding treatment approaches for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC) based on real-world treatment patterns in 4 territories in Asia-Pacific. METHODS: A three-round modified Delphi involving a multidisciplinary panel of HN surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists was used. Of 41 panelists recruited, responses of 26 from Australia, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan were analyzed. All panelists had ≥five years' experience managing LA-HNSCC patients and treated ≥15 patients with LA-HNSCC annually. RESULTS: All statements on definitions of LA-HNSCC, treatment intolerance and cisplatin dosing reached consensus. 4 of 7 statements on unresectability, 2 of 4 on adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, 7 of 13 on induction chemotherapy, 1 of 8 on absolute contraindications and 7 of 11 on relative contraindications to high-dose cisplatin did not reach consensus. In all territories except Taiwan, high-dose cisplatin was preferred in definitive and adjuvant settings for patients with no contraindications to cisplatin; weekly cisplatin (40 mg/m2) preferred for patients with relative contraindications to high-dose cisplatin. For Taiwan, the main treatment option was weekly cisplatin. For patients with absolute contraindications to cisplatin, carboplatin ± 5-fluorouracil or radiotherapy alone were preferred alternatives in both definitive and adjuvant settings. CONCLUSION: This multidisciplinary consensus provides insights into management of LA-HNSCC in Asia-Pacific based on patient- and disease-related factors that guide selection of treatment modality and systemic treatment. Despite strong consensus on use of cisplatin-based regimens, areas of non-consensus showed that variability in practice exists where there is limited evidence

Asian city brand meaning: a Hong Kong perspective

The idea of “brands doing good” is potentially intrinsic in all aspects of strategic and ethical branding. This study argues that city branding can be a site for “brands doing good”. City branding is consolidating its position in the branding literature. Two areas remain underdeveloped: the role of culture and a comprehensive answer to the question of what does a place mean to its residents? This quantitative study addresses these two gaps in the literature. Hong Kong is selected as a thought-provoking context to investigate the research issues and enables more attention to Asian city brands. The results indicate that social bonding through friends and relatives is the dominant brand association shaping city brand meaning. Additionally, a three-pronged approach to culture elevates culture to an important role in understanding the residents’ city brand meaning. The three prongs are: (1) inclusion of Confucius values as a brand association; (2) using intangible cultural heritage as a moderator in the model explaining city brand attitudes and (3) interpreting material lifestyle activities like eateries as an integral part of the city culture. The results suggest that the Hong Kong city brand does much good especially through strong social, cultural and community core brand values.Griffith Business School, Department of MarketingNo Full Tex