Head & Neck Cancer

c-Met, the tyrosine kinase receptor for hepatocyte growth factor, is overexpressed in a variety of tumors in which it plays a central role in malignant transformation. Although c-Met has also been determined to be a critical signaling molecule in normal stem cell function, the potential role of c-Met as a single marker for cancer stem cells (CSCs) has not been previously examined. In our study, we reported that human head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells expressing c-Met were capable of self-renewal and of generating tumors that recapitulate the heterogeneity of the parental tumors, and isolation of HNSCC cells using a second marker CD44 could further enhance upon the in-vivo tumorigenicity. We also reported that c-Met(+) HNSCC cells could readily make spherical colonies in nonadherent culture conditions, in contrast, c-Met(-) population did not; these spherical colonies could be passaged multiple times without loss of colony-forming capability. Furthermore, we showed that

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is a technique that allows delivery of lower doses of radiation to normal tissue, while maintaining or increasing the tumour dose, compared with two-dimensional radiotherapy (2DRT) or three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT). This review of published data was undertaken to assess whether IMRT is associated with quality of life (QoL) benefits versus 2DRT and 3DCRT.|English-language literature published between January 2005 and August 2010 was searched for studies comparing IMRT versus 2DRT or 3DCRT in head and neck cancers that included QoL evaluation. Fourteen studies (five prospective and nine retrospective) were identified, two in abstract form only. Only one study was randomised. Studies included patients with nasopharyngeal cancer only, oropharyngeal cancer only and mixed populations.|The EORTC QLQ-C30 was the most widely used instrument, generally supplemented with the head and neck cancer module H&N35. IMRT was associated with

Patients with head and neck cancer may experience carotid artery involvement. We present a series of 10 patients, all with stage IVB disease, who required carotid resection and reconstruction to achieve a complete resection. Nine of the 10 patients had previous radiation treatment to the neck. Six died of distant disease, and three died of other causes with no local or regional recurrences. Carotid resection and reconstruction can be done safely, achieving local and regional control.

The goal of this study is to determine whether treatment with methylselenocysteine (MSC) results in differential uptake of irinotecan and its active metabolite (SN-38) between tumors of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and normal tissue. The in vivo synergy between MSC and irinotecan is influenced by treatment schedule and associated with enhancement of tumor vessel maturation, intra-tumor concentration of SN-38 and apoptotic death of tumor cells. Normal tissue drug concentrations were not impacted by selenium treatment. The finding is of clinical relevance for enabling the delivery of higher doses of irinotecan to reverse tumor resistance, recurrence and ultimately enhancing cure rates.

Men are much more likely than women to develop head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a discrepancy that is insufficiently explained by gender differences in smoking and alcohol consumption. It has been hypothesized that differential hormonal exposures may account for some of this risk but thus far the literature on female reproductive factors and HNSCC risk has been sparse. To address the association of HNSCC with female hormonal and reproductive factors, a case-control study was conducted on 149 women with head and neck cancer and 158 controls. After adjusting for potential confounding, postmenopausal women using female hormones for more than 5 years showed a borderline protective effect for HNSCC (adjusted OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.20-1.08), with a borderline trend across duration of use categories (P = 0.06). There was no association of HNSCC with age at menarche, hysterectomy/oophorectomy status, oral contraceptive use, history of fertility medication, or number of pregnancies,