Impact of Delay on Hospitalization in Older Patients With Head and Neck Cancer:A Multicenter Study

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of delay in treatment initiation on hospitalization, overall survival, and recurrence in older patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective multicenter study. SETTING: Two tertiary referral centers. METHODS: All patients with newly diagnosed HNC (≥60 years) treated between 2015 and 2017 were retrospectively included. Time-to-treatment intervals were assessed (ie, calendar days between first visit and start of treatment). Multiple multivariable models were performed with hospital admission days (>14 days), survival, and recurrence as dependent outcome variables. RESULTS: In total, 525 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 70.7 years and 70.7% were male. Median time to treatment was 34.0 days, and 36.3% started treatment within 30 days (P = .576 between centers). Patients with radiotherapy had longer time to treatment than surgical patients (39.0 vs 29.0 days, P 14 days) in the first year after treatment in an adjusted model (odds ratio, 4.66 [95% CI, 2.59-8.37]; P < .001). Delay in treatment initiation was not associated with overall survival or tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance and challenges of ensuring timely treatment initiation in older patients with HNC, as treatment delay was an independent predictor of hospitalization. During oncologic workup, taking time to consider patient-centered outcomes (including minimizing time spent in hospital) while ensuring timely start of treatment requires well-structured, fast-track care pathways

Goal processes &amp; self-efficacy related to psychological distress in head &amp; neck cancer patients and their partners

Purpose and objective of the research: In this cross-sectional study we used a self-regulation perspective to better understand the experience of psychological distress in head & neck (H&N) cancer patients and their partners. We examined which goals they valued and the extent to which patients and partners experience goal disturbance. Furthermore, associations were explored between goal disturbance, goal reengagement, (goal)self-efficacy, and psychological distress. Methods and sample: H&N cancer patients and their partners, recruited from the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam (N = 40), were interviewed and completed questionnaires, assessing the above aspects of the self-regulation theory. Key results: H&N cancer patients and their partners experienced goal disturbance from the disease. Such disturbances were in patients significantly related to more psychological distress. Higher levels of goal re-engagement were related to less psychological distress, again only significantly in patients. More self-efficacy was significantly associated with less psychological distress in both patients and partners. Conclusions: Self-regulation abilities as goal re-engagement and self-efficacy may be screened and used as target in future psychological interventions, given their potential to decrease perceived psychological distress. In view of elevated levels of goal disturbances in partners, psychological support for caring relatives in such interventions is recommended. (c) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab induces major pathological responses in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Surgery for locoregionally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) results in 30‒50% five-year overall survival. In IMCISION (NCT03003637), a non-randomized phase Ib/IIa trial, 32 HNSCC patients are treated with 2 doses (in weeks 1 and 3) of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) using nivolumab (NIVO MONO, n = 6, phase Ib arm A) or nivolumab plus a single dose of ipilimumab (COMBO, n = 26, 6 in phase Ib arm B, and 20 in phase IIa) prior to surgery. Primary endpoints are feasibility to resect no later than week 6 (phase Ib) and primary tumor pathological response (phase IIa). Surgery is not delayed or suspended for any patient in phase Ib, meeting the primary endpoint. Grade 3‒4 immune-related adverse events are seen in 2 of 6 (33%) NIVO MONO and 10 of 26 (38%) total COMBO patients. Pathological response, defined as the %-change in primary tumor viable tumor cell percentage from baseline biopsy to on-treatment resection, is evaluable in 17/20 phase IIa patients and 29/32 total trial patients (6/6 NIVO MONO, 23/26 COMBO). We observe a major pathological response (MPR, 90‒100% response) in 35% of patients after COMBO ICB, both in phase IIa (6/17) and in the whole trial (8/23), meeting the phase IIa primary endpoint threshold of 10%. NIVO MONO’s MPR rate is 17% (1/6). None of the MPR patients develop recurrent HSNCC during 24.0 months median postsurgical follow-up. FDG-PET-based total lesion glycolysis identifies MPR patients prior to surgery. A baseline AID/APOBEC-associated mutational profile and an on-treatment decrease in hypoxia RNA signature are observed in MPR patients. Our data indicate that neoadjuvant COMBO ICB is feasible and encouragingly efficacious in HNSCC

Melioidosis in travelers: An analysis of Dutch melioidosis registry data 1985–2018

Background: Melioidosis, caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, is an opportunistic infection across the tropics. Here, we provide a systematic overview of imported human cases in a non-endemic country over a 25-year period. Methods: All 5

Nephrotoxicity as a Dose-Limiting Factor in a High-Dose Cisplatin-Based Chemoradiotherapy Regimen for Head and Neck Carcinomas

Purpose: Loco-regional control and organ preservation are significantly improved with concomitant cisplatin/radiotherapy and are compromised with less than 5% grade 3 nephrotoxicity (creatinine clearance 15–29 mL/min). However, although clinically important, in none of the randomized trials is grade 2 nephrotoxicity (defined as creatinine clearance 59–30 mL/min) mentioned. In this study, we assessed nephrotoxicity in daily practice among patients treated with high-dose cisplatin (100 mg/m2 on days 1, 22, and 43), concurrently with chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and the impact on treatment modifications. Methods: 208 patients with advanced-stage malignancies of the head and neck region were evaluated. All patients were treated with high-dose cisplatin CCRT. The main outcome parameters were nephrotoxicity (defined as creatinine clearance grade 2 or more) and cumulative doses of cisplatin and radiation. Results: 133 patients (64%) completed all pre-planned courses of cisplatin. Nephrotoxicity was the main reason to discontinue the chemotherapy. Grade 3 nephrotoxicity was seen in 16 patients (8%) while grade 2 nephrotoxicity was seen in 53 patients (25%). Thirty six patients (17%) could not complete the pre-planned chemotherapy due to nephrotoxicity. Conclusions: In head and neck cancer patients, nephrotoxicity grade 2 is under-reported but is the major factor for discontinuing cisplatin during CCRT

Geriatric assessment and 1-year mortality in older patients with cancer in the head and neck region: A cohort study

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Contralateral regional recurrence after elective unilateral neck irradiation in oropharyngeal carcinoma: A literature-based critical review

Background: The head and neck region has rich regional lymphatic network, with a theoretical risk on contralateral metastasis from oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). There is a long-standing convention to irradiate the great majority of these tumors electively to both sides of the neck to reduce the risk of contralateral regional failure (cRF), but this can induce significant toxicity. We aimed to identify patient groups where elective contralateral irradiation may safely be omitted. Methods: PubMed and EMBASE were searched for original full-text articles in English with a combination of search terms related to the end points: cRF in OPC primarily treated by radiotherapy only to the ipsilateral neck and identifying predictive factors for increased incidence of cRF. The data from the identified studies were pooled, the incidence of cRF was calculated and the correlation with different predictive factors was investigated. Results: Eleven full-text articles met the inclusion criteria. In these studies, 1116 patients were treated to the ipsilateral neck alone. The mean incidence of cRF was 2.42% (range 0-5.9%, 95% CI 1.6-3.5%). The incidence of cRF correlated only with T-stage (p = 0.008), and involvement of midline (p = 0.001). However, the significant correlation with T-stage can be explained by the very low incidence of cRF among T1 (0.77%), and disappeared when the incidence of cRF was compared between T2, T3,and T4 (p = 0.344). Conclusion: The incidence of cRF in patients with OPC is very low, with involvement of midline providing the most significant prognosticator. These results call for trials on unilateral elective irradiation in selected groups. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserve

Patient-reported physical activity and the association with health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors

Purpose: This study aimed to assess patient-reported levels of physical activity (PA) and its associations with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) adjusted for important demographic, lifestyle-related, and clinical factors, among head and neck (HNC) survivors. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 116 HNC survivors. PA was assessed with the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) and HRQoL with the EORTC-QLQ-C30 and EORTC-HN35. Associations were studied using univariable and multivariable regression analyses. Results: Median PASE score was 100.3 (interquartile range 65.1;170.8) of which 54% were household, 34% leisure-time, and 12% occupational activities. Younger HNC survivors had higher levels of PA. Higher PA was significantly associated with higher global QoL (p < 0.05). Findings for physical function, role function, social function, fatigue, and pain were in line, but not statistically significant (0.05 ≤ p < 0.10). Conclusions: Among HNC survivors, a large proportion of PA consists of household activities. Younger HNC survivors had higher PA levels, and higher PA levels were associated with higher HRQoL