Solitary Osseous Plasmacytoma of the Head and Neck

Purpose: This study aimed to report the characteristics and treatment outcome of 8 patients with solitary osseous plasmacytoma of the head and neck with special focus on mandibular plasmacytoma.Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 8 patients with solitary osseous plasmacytoma of the head and neck who were treated at two academic tertiary referral hospitals between 1999 and 2010. All the patients were treated with curative intent. Four patients (50%) were primarily treated with radiotherapy alone at initial diagnosis, one patient (12.5%) underwent surgery alone, and 3 patients (37.5%) were treated with gross tumor resection followed by radiotherapy. The median total radiation dose was 46 (range 30-50) GY.Results: There were 4 women and 4 men aging from 37 to 73 years, with a median and mean age of 52 years at diagnosis. Pain (in 7 cases) and swelling (in 5 cases) were the most common presentations. Mandible (in 4 cases) was the most frequent primary site. The median tumor size was 4.8 (range 3.5-6) cm. After a median follow-up of 44 months (range 27-79 months), 5 patients are alive and without disease, one is alive with multiple myeloma, and two died of multiple myeloma.Conclusion: Solitary osseous plasmacytomas of the head and neck have a propensity to involve the mandibular bones and response well to effective local treatments of radiotherapy and/or surgery. These Patients tend to progress to multiple myeloma even years after the initial treatment

A Comparison of Early Side-Effects of Short-Course and Long-Course Radiotherapy in Rectal Cancer

Background: The variety of neoadjuvant treatments concerning rectal cancer has led to acute complications. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the acute complications of short-course (SC) and long-course (LC) radiotherapy. Method: We studied 100 patients suffering from rectal cancer, who referred to Nemazee Hospital before their surgery, in this cross-sectional study. The patients were divided into two categories: SC (25 grays radiotherapy at 5 fractions in 5 days) and LC (chemoradiotherapy with a dose of 45-50.4 grays in 25- 28 fraction in 5-6 weeks with concurrent Capecitabine (825 mg / m2) twice daily and five days a week). Subsequently, we evaluated them for acute complications in the SC group 10-14 days after the end of the treatment and in the LC group at intervals of the treatment, the end of it and 2 weeks afterwards. Results: In the LC group compared to the SC group, the percentage of patients with grade 1 diarrhea, grade 2 colitis and grade 1 cystitis at the end of the treatment was statistically different (p 0.05). Conclusion: This study implied that there were no significant differences regarding severe acute complication between the two groups

Prognostic Significance of Tumor Location in Oncologic Outcome of Colon Cancer

Background: A growing amount of data has indicated the possibility that tumor location may play a prognostic role in colon cancer. We set out to investigate the relationship between the location of colon cancer (right-sided vs. left-sided) and the patient’s oncologic outcome. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 654 colon cancer patients treated and followed up at Namazi and Faghihi hospitals in Shiraz and Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, between 2005 and 2014. The Cox regression multivariate analysis model was used to determine the most important independent predictors of oncologic outcomes. We analyzed the prognostic impact of the primary tumor location and other clinical, pathological, and treatment-related factors.Results: In the univariate analysis, the prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) were the primary tumor stage (P<0.001), node stage (P<0.001), tumor grade (P=0.013), surgical margin status (P=0.001), lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (P<0.001), and perineural invasion (PNI) (P<0.001). Additionally, the prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) were the primary tumor stage (P<0.001), node stage (P<0.001), tumor grade (P=0.036), LVI (<0.001), PNI (P<0.001), and the mucinous type (P=0.042). In the multivariate analysis, LVI, T3-4 lesions, tumor grade II-III, and an advanced disease stage remained independent prognostic factors for DFS and OS. However, the colon cancer location was not a prognostic factor regarding DFS or OS. Conclusion: Our study indicates that the tumor location is not a significant prognostic factor for DFS and OS in colon cancer patients

Hemangiopericytomas of the spine: case report and review of the literature

We describe a rare case of a primary intracranial meningeal hemangiopericytoma (HPC) with late metastasis to the cervical spine. A 36-year-old woman had a left occipital lesion that was histopathologically identified as HPC. Fourteen years after resection, the tumor recurred and was treated with radiotherapy. Three years later, CT imaging showed a large mass in the liver consistent with metastatic HPC, and MRI of the cervical spine showed an extensive lesion of the C3 vertebral body. The patient underwent C3 corpectomy with en-bloc tumor removal and follow-up radiation with no local recurrence or other spinal metastasis for the following 4 years. Regardless of the subtype of spinal HPC, complete surgical removal and radiotherapy appear to be treatment of choice

Role of external irradiation in high-risk resected colon cancer

BACKGROUND / AIM: The best therapeutic modality for colon cancer "one of the most common malignancies of human being" is surgical resection of primary tumor. Adjuvant chemotherapy can help surgery to have a higher control and survival rate in high-risk resected patients, but the role of radiation therapy is the place of debate. This study was carried out to evaluate the possible role of adjuvant radiotherapy in such cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective trial evaluated 65 eligible patients with surgically resected high-risk colon carcinoma (serosal and/or lymph node involvement), from May 1986 to February 2000. The patients were categorized into two groups. The first group was treated with chemotherapy alone and the other with chemo-radiotherapy. Chemotherapy included 5.FU 500 mg/m2/5days for 6-8 courses and radiotherapy consisted 45-55 Gy with 1.5-2 Gy/fraction. Minimum follow-up was 36 months. RESULTS: Mean event-free survival was 140 and 101 months in chemotherapy and combined-therapy groups, respectively (P = 0.099). Local recurrence rate was detected as 9.7% in the chemotherapy arm and 23.5% in the combined-therapy arm (P &gt; 0.1). Treatment-related morbidity and mortality has been significantly higher in the radiation arm (P &lt; 0.001) . CONCLUSION: Postoperative external radiation as adjuvant treatment does not improve local control of the patients with colon carcinoma

Role of external irradiation in high-risk resected colon cancer

BACKGROUND / AIM: The best therapeutic modality for colon cancer "one of the most common malignancies of human being" is surgical resection of primary tumor. Adjuvant chemotherapy can help surgery to have a higher control and survival rate in high-risk resected patients, but the role of radiation therapy is the place of debate. This study was carried out to evaluate the possible role of adjuvant radiotherapy in such cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective trial evaluated 65 eligible patients with surgically resected high-risk colon carcinoma (serosal and/or lymph node involvement), from May 1986 to February 2000. The patients were categorized into two groups. The first group was treated with chemotherapy alone and the other with chemo-radiotherapy. Chemotherapy included 5.FU 500 mg/m2/5days for 6-8 courses and radiotherapy consisted 45-55 Gy with 1.5-2 Gy/fraction. Minimum follow-up was 36 months. RESULTS: Mean event-free survival was 140 and 101 months in chemotherapy and combined-therapy groups, respectively (P = 0.099). Local recurrence rate was detected as 9.7% in the chemotherapy arm and 23.5% in the combined-therapy arm (P > 0.1). Treatment-related morbidity and mortality has been significantly higher in the radiation arm (P < 0.001) . CONCLUSION: Postoperative external radiation as adjuvant treatment does not improve local control of the patients with colon carcinoma