Mucosal Melanomas of the Head and Neck: The Role of Postoperative Radiation Therapy

Objectives. Mucosal melanomas are rarer than their cutaneous counterparts and are associated with a poorer prognosis. We report the clinical outcomes of patients with mucosal melanomas of the head and neck region generally treated with definitive surgery followed by postoperative radiation therapy (RT). Methods. We reviewed the records of 17 patients treated at the University of Miami in 1990–2007. Patients generally received conventionally fractionated RT regimens to the postoperative bed. Elective nodal RT was not routinely delivered. Eight patients received adjuvant chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Results. Median followup was 35.2 months (range 5–225). As the first site of failure: 3 patients recurred locally, 2 regionally and 2 distantly. All 3 patients who recurred locally had not received RT. Of the 5 locoregional recurrences, 4 were salvaged successfully with multimodality therapy with no evidence of disease at last followup. Overall survival was 64.7% at 2 years and 51.5% at 5 years. Conclusions. Patients with mucosal melanoma of the head and neck are best treated with surgery to achieve negative margins, followed by postoperative RT to optimize local control. Elective nodal irradiation may not be indicated in all cases, as regional failures were not predominant. Distant metastases were fewer when compared to historical data, potentially due to advancements in adjuvant therapies as well as aggressive multi-modality salvage at time of failure

Monitoring activities of teenagers to comprehend their habits: study protocol for a mixed-methods cohort study

Abstract: Background: Efforts to increase physical activity in youth need to consider which activities are most likely to be sustained over time in order to promote lifelong participation in physical activity. The Monitoring Activities of Teenagers to Comprehend their Habits (MATCH) study is a prospective cohort study that uses quantitative and qualitative methods to develop new knowledge on the sustainability of specific physical activities. Methods/design: Eight hundred and forty-three grade 5 and 6 students recruited from 17 elementary schools in New Brunswick, Canada, are followed-up three times per year. At each survey cycle, participants complete self-report questionnaires in their classroom under the supervision of trained data collectors. A sub-sample of 24 physically active students is interviewed annually using a semi-structured interview protocol. Parents (or guardians) complete telephone administered questionnaires every two years, and a health and wellness school audit is completed for each school. Discussion: MATCH will provide a description of the patterns of participation in specific physical activities in youth, and enable identification of the determinants of maintenance, decline, and uptake of participation in each activity. These data will inform the development of interventions that take into account which activities are the most likely to be maintained and why activities are maintained or dropped

Comparison and Consensus Guidelines for Delineation of Clinical Target Volume for CT- and MR-Based Brachytherapy in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

To create and compare consensus clinical target volume (CTV) contours for computed tomography (CT) and 3 Tesla (3T) magnetic resonance (MR) image-based cervical-cancer brachytherap

Case Reports1. A Late Presentation of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: Beware of TGFβ Receptor Mutations in Benign Joint Hypermobility

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and dissections are not uncommon causes of sudden death in young adults. Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a rare, recently described, autosomal dominant, connective tissue disease characterized by aggressive arterial aneurysms, resulting from mutations in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) receptor genes TGFBR1 and TGFBR2. Mean age at death is 26.1 years, most often due to aortic dissection. We report an unusually late presentation of LDS, diagnosed following elective surgery in a female with a long history of joint hypermobility. Methods: A 51-year-old Caucasian lady complained of chest pain and headache following a dural leak from spinal anaesthesia for an elective ankle arthroscopy. CT scan and echocardiography demonstrated a dilated aortic root and significant aortic regurgitation. MRA demonstrated aortic tortuosity, an infrarenal aortic aneurysm and aneurysms in the left renal and right internal mammary arteries. She underwent aortic root repair and aortic valve replacement. She had a background of long-standing joint pains secondary to hypermobility, easy bruising, unusual fracture susceptibility and mild bronchiectasis. She had one healthy child age 32, after which she suffered a uterine prolapse. Examination revealed mild Marfanoid features. Uvula, skin and ophthalmological examination was normal. Results: Fibrillin-1 testing for Marfan syndrome (MFS) was negative. Detection of a c.1270G > C (p.Gly424Arg) TGFBR2 mutation confirmed the diagnosis of LDS. Losartan was started for vascular protection. Conclusions: LDS is a severe inherited vasculopathy that usually presents in childhood. It is characterized by aortic root dilatation and ascending aneurysms. There is a higher risk of aortic dissection compared with MFS. Clinical features overlap with MFS and Ehlers Danlos syndrome Type IV, but differentiating dysmorphogenic features include ocular hypertelorism, bifid uvula and cleft palate. Echocardiography and MRA or CT scanning from head to pelvis is recommended to establish the extent of vascular involvement. Management involves early surgical intervention, including early valve-sparing aortic root replacement, genetic counselling and close monitoring in pregnancy. Despite being caused by loss of function mutations in either TGFβ receptor, paradoxical activation of TGFβ signalling is seen, suggesting that TGFβ antagonism may confer disease modifying effects similar to those observed in MFS. TGFβ antagonism can be achieved with angiotensin antagonists, such as Losartan, which is able to delay aortic aneurysm development in preclinical models and in patients with MFS. Our case emphasizes the importance of timely recognition of vasculopathy syndromes in patients with hypermobility and the need for early surgical intervention. It also highlights their heterogeneity and the potential for late presentation. Disclosures: The authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Preoperative vs postoperative radiation therapy for extremity soft tissue sarcoma: controversy and present management

The 5-year results of the Canadian multicenter prospectively randomized phase III trial that compared preoperative with postoperative radiotherapy for patients with extremity soft tissue sarcomas were recently presented at the 2004 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. These latter findings serve as an impetus for this current review to assess the optimal sequencing of adjuvant radiotherapy for such patients undergoing limb-preserving surgery. The recent studies, including the 2004 American Society of Clinical Oncology presentation, described in this paper show no significant rise in the incidence of long-term side effects, such as delayed wound healing and subcutaneous tissue damage, in patients with extremity soft tissue sarcomas who receive once-daily preoperative irradiation followed by limb-preserving surgery. Postoperative radiotherapy may be best reserved for patients who are most likely to undergo a wide local excision with adequate (>10 mm) tumor-free margins (such as low-grade lesions in the lower extremities). There is an increasing use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation in this group of patients, especially for high-grade and large lesions. Further investigations regarding the preoperative management of extremity soft tissue sarcomas are continuing in an attempt to optimize the survival and functional status of these patients, while minimizing the permanent side effects resulting from such treatment

The role of radiotherapy for high-risk endometrial cancer

High-risk endometrial cancer comprises an uncommon group of tumors, which includes pathological stage III adenocarcinoma and all stages of papillary serous carcinoma. Optimal management of this class of malignant female genital neoplasms is surgical resection, including debulking of any gross abdominopelvic disease. This article analyzes the literature concerning the use of adjunctive radiotherapy. The data presented suggest that postoperative whole abdominal radiotherapy may improve outcome in selected subsets of patients within this high-risk group. Future clinical investigations will greatly benefit from the anticipated published results of two completed prospective cooperative group clinical trials that involve whole abdominal irradiation

The Role of Cholinesterase in Secondary Anemia—Experimental Phase

Plasma and erythrocyte cholinesterase was partially inhibited by physostigmine (Eserine), and the normal balance of cholinesterase between these two blood compartments was disturbed. This change increased erythrocytic fragility. The results of the experiment provide an explanation for secondary anemia in patients with certain chronic diseases