High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma without Palpable Lymphadenopathy: Is There a Therapeutic Role for Elective Neck Dissection?

PURPOSE: The beneficial role of elective neck dissection (END) in the management of high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) of the head and neck remains unproven. Some surgical specialists suggest that END may be beneficial for patients with clinically node-negative (N0) high-risk CSCC, but there are few data to support this claim. We reviewed the available literature regarding the use of END in the management of both CSCC and head and neck SCC (HNSCC). METHODOLOGY: The available medical literature pertaining to END in both CSCC and HNSCC was reviewed using PubMed and Ovid Medline searches. RESULTS: Many surgical specialists recommend that END be routinely performed in patients with N0 HNSCC when the risk of occult metastases is estimated to exceed 20%; however, patients who undergo END have no proven survival benefit over those who are initially staged as N0 and undergo therapeutic neck dissection (TND) after the development of apparent regional disease. There is a lack of data regarding the proper management of regional nodal basins in patients with N0 CSCC. In the absence of evidence-based data, the cutaneous surgeon must rely on clinical judgment to guide the management of patients with N0 high-risk CSCC of the head and neck. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate work-up for occult nodal disease may occasionally be warranted in patients with high-risk CSCC. END may play a role in only a very limited number of patients with high-risk CSCC.     

Goldenhar’s Syndrome associated with congenital cyanotic heart disease

A case of Goldenhar’s Syndrome in a 10 year old girl is reported. The unusual features are the absence of epibulbar dermoid which is one of the major hallmarks of the Syndrome and the presence of an associated Cyanotic Heart disease.     

Role of pylorus in mediating cholecystokinin-stimulated satiety in the Zucker rat

Obese Zucker rats are less responsive than their lean littermates to the effects of cholecystokinin-octapeptide on satiety and pancreatic growth and exocrine function. We hypothesized that the hyperphagia observed in obese Zucker rats may be caused by a decreased pyloric contractile response to cholecystokinin, resulting in an increased rate of gastric emptying, decreased postprandial gastric distention, and thus decreased satiety. Pyloric muscle strips from six obese Zucker rats and six lean littermates were mounted in separate tissue baths and isometric contraction was measured in response to acetylcholine and cholecystokinin-octapeptide. The dose-response curves for acetylcholine-and cholecystokinin-octapeptide-stimulated pyloric muscle contraction were similar for both the obese and the lean rats. (For cholecystokinin, D₅₀ obese=4.0±0.6 nM, D₅₀ lean=3.4±0.2 nM;P=0.16). We conclude that the decreased satiety response to cholecystokinin-octapeptide observed in obese Zucker rats is not secondary to a decreased pyloric responsiveness to cholecystokinin.This work was supported by NIH grant AM28303-03.     

Current status of colorectal cancer chemoprevention

Chemoprevention refers to suppression or reversal of the carcinogenic process using pharmacologic or nutritional agents. Colorectal carcinogenesis is a protracted, multistep process that offers opportunities for prevention. Aspirin and selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (coxibs) have been evaluated for the prevention of sporadic adenoma recurrence. Aspirin was shown to reduce adenoma recurrence rates in patients with prior colorectal neoplasms; however, the optimal dosage remains unclear. Recent studies of coxibs indicate that these agents are effective in reducing sporadic adenoma recurrence, but chronic use can result in serious cardiovascular toxicity. These data underscore the need for chemopreventive agents with acceptable risk-to-benefit ratios. In this regard, nitric-oxide-releasing aspirin shows chemopreventive efficacy in preclinical models and holds promise for reduced toxicity in humans. Furthermore, ongoing chemoprevention trials are evaluating nutritional supplements, such as folic acid and selenium, and results are eagerly awaited.