Predictive factors of local-regional recurrences following parotid sparing intensity modulated or 3D conformal radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Predictive factors for local-regional (LR) failures after parotid-sparing, Intensity modulated (IMRT) or 3D conformal radiotherapy for head and neck (HN) cancers were assessed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty-eight patients with mostly stages III-IV HN squamous cell carcinoma underwent curative bilateral neck irradiation aimed at sparing the parotid glands. Patient, tumor, and treatment factors were analyzed as predictive factors for LR failure. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients had LR recurrence (19 in-field and four marginal). No differences were found in the doses delivered to the PTVs of patients with or without in-field recurrences. In univariate analysis, tumor site was highly predictive for LR failure in both postoperative and definitive RT patients. In postoperative RT patients, pathologic tumor size, margin status, extracapsular extension (ECE) and number of lymph node metastases, were also significantly predictive. Multivariate analysis showed tumor site (oropharynx vs. other sites) to be a significant predictor in all patients, and involved margins and number of involved lymph nodes in postoperative patients. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical rather than dosimetric factors predicted for LR failures in this series, and were similar to those reported following standard RT. These factors may aid in the selection of patients for studies of treatment intensification using IMRT.     

Sexual outcomes and satisfaction with hysterectomy: influence of patient education

IntroductionMany women experience improved sexual function after hysterectomy. However, a sizeable minority of women report worsened sexual function after the surgery, and concerns about the effect of surgery on sexual function are common among women planning to undergo hysterectomy.AimThe present study examined the role of education about the potential sexual consequences of hysterectomy in predicting self‐reported outcomes and satisfaction with the procedure.MethodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional survey of 204 women who had undergone simple hysterectomy in the preceding 3–12 months. Participants volunteered in response to a Web‐based advertisement.Main Outcome MeasuresParticipants indicated their current sexual function using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and reported positive and negative sexual outcomes experienced after hysterectomy using a checklist. Participants also completed questionnaire items regarding satisfaction with hysterectomy and education from their physicians about sexual risks and benefits prior to surgery.ResultsCurrent sexual function scores were related to self‐reports of positive and negative sexual outcomes following hysterectomy and overall satisfaction with hysterectomy. Education from a physician about possible adverse sexual outcomes was largely unrelated to self‐reports of having experienced those outcomes. However, education about possible negative sexual outcomes predicted overall satisfaction with hysterectomy when controlling for self‐reports of positive and negative sexual outcomes.ConclusionEducation about potential negative sexual outcomes after surgery may enhance satisfaction with hysterectomy, independent of whether negative sexual outcomes were experienced. Including a discussion of potential sexual changes after surgery may enhance the benefits of presurgical counseling prior to hysterectomy. Bradford A, and Meston C. Sexual outcomes and satisfaction with hysterectomy: Influence of patient education. J Sex Med 2007;4:106–114.     

A Quantitative Spatial Analysis of the Blood–Spinal Cord Barrier: I. Permeability Changes after Experimental Spinal Contusion Injury

Blood–spinal cord barrier (BSB) permeability was measured using quantitative autoradiography following contusion injury to the rat spinal cord. Permeability was assessed by calculating blood-to-tissue transfer constants (K_ivalues) for the vascular tracer [¹⁴C]-α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) in injured (3, 7, 14, and 28 days postinjury), laminectomy control, and uninjured control animals. Permeability was quantitated using four separate imaging techniques in gray and white matter throughout the rostro-caudal extents of the forming lesion. Away from the epicenter, gray matter permeability was further differentiated within discrete spinal lamina using computerized templates. Regardless of the type of analysis used, increased AIB permeability (K_ivalues) was noted at all survival times in all tissue regions with respect to both uninjured and laminectomy control groups. The data indicate a large increase in individualK_ivalues throughout the dorsoventral axis of the spinal cord at 3 days postinjury (≈6–9 ml/kg/min). By 7 days,K_ivalues were quantitatively smaller (≈4–5 ml/kg/min) in all regions compared with 3-day tissues. Despite further attenuation of AIB uptake in the gray matter at 14 and 28 days postinjury, circumferential white matter tracts showed a secondary increase in permeability compared to 7-day tissue. Permeability in the white matter at 14–28 days postinjury (≈5–6 ml/kg/min) was comparable to that at 3 days postinjury (6–7 ml/kg/min). Measurements of the axial distribution of AIB permeability indicate increased BSB permeability over several segments rostral and caudal to the lesion epicenter (≈3 cm in both directions). Secondary elevations of AIB transfer in the spinal white matter between 14 and 28 days were colocalized with zones of immunohistochemically defined microglial clusters. The known plasticity of this cell type in response to changes in the extracellular microenvironment suggests that the spinal white matter at later survival times (14–28 days postinjury) is an area of dynamic vascular and/or axonal reconstruction. The implications of increased permeability to both tissue injury and neural regeneration are discussed.     

Bowel and bladder function after major sacral resection

Major sacral resection generally is reserved for patients with malignant lesions. Because of the uncommon nature of these diseases, little is known about outcomes of surgical treatment. The current authors describe the retrospective analysis of bowel and bladder function in patients having major sacral resection at their institution during a 10-year period. Fifty-three patients were identified. In patients who had unilateral sacrectomy, in whom the contralateral sacral nerves were preserved, normal bowel and bladder function was retained in 87% and 89%, respectively. In patients who had bilateral S2-S5 nerve roots sacrificed, all had abnormal bowel and bladder function. In patients who had bilateral S3-S5 resection, normal bowel and bladder function was retained in 40% and 25%, respectively. In patients who had bilateral S4-S5 resection, with preservation of the S3 nerves bilaterally, normal bowel and bladder function was retained in 100% and 69%, respectively. In patients who had asymmetric sacral resections, with preservation of at least one S3 nerve root, normal bowel and bladder function was retained in 67% and 60%, respectively. These results show that unilateral resection of sacral roots or preservation of at least one S3 root in bilateral resection preserves bowel and bladder function in the majority of patients.     

Relationship between surgical margins and local recurrence in sarcomas of the spine

The combination of improved resection, stabilization, and fusion techniques allows for more aggressive removal of malignant spinal tumors with acceptable mortality and morbidity. Thirty consecutive patients with primary sarcomas of the mobile spine, who were operated on at the authors' institution from January 1970 to December 2000, were included in the current study. Demographic information, tumor location, type of resection, resection margins, local recurrence, and overall survival data were retrieved and analyzed. Treatment consisted of en bloc resection in 12 patients (40%) and piecemeal resections in 18 patients (60%). The resection was classified as wide in seven patients (23.3%), marginal in three patients (10%), and intralesional in 20 patients (66.7%). Pathology reports showed tumor-free resection margins in 12 patients (40%). In the remaining 18 patients (60%), resection margins were positive and resulted in a fivefold increase in the risk of a local recurrence. Ninety-two percent of the patients with local recurrence died of sequelae associated with the local recurrence. Primary sarcomas of the mobile spine in certain cases, can be removed completely with tumor-free resection margins. En bloc resection with tumor-free margins provides substantial improvement in overall survival.     

Determinants of mortality in patients with severe blunt head injury

CONTEXT: Head injury is the leading cause of traumatic death in the United States. HYPOTHESIS: A set of clinical parameters available soon after injury can be used to accurately predict outcome in patients with severe blunt head trauma. DESIGN: Validation cohort study. SETTING: Urban level I trauma center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from patients with severe blunt head injury, as defined by inability to follow commands, were prospectively entered into a neurosurgical database and analyzed. The impact on survival of 23 potentially predictive parameters was studied using univariate analysis. Logistic regression models were used to control for confounding factors and to assess interactions between variables, whose significance was determined by univariate analysis. Goodness of fit was calculated with the Hosmer-Lemeshow c statistic. The predictability of the logistic model was evaluated by measuring the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis revealed that 5 risk factors were independently associated with death. These variables included systemic hypotension in the emergency department, midline shift on computed tomographic scan, intracranial hypertension, and absence of pupillary light reflex. A low Glasgow Coma Scale score and advanced age were found to be highly correlated risk factors that, when combined, were independently associated with mortality. The model showed acceptable goodness of fit, and the AUC was 80.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic hypotension and intracranial hypertension are the only independent risk factors for mortality that can be readily treated during the initial management of patients with severe head injuries. When used together, Glasgow Coma Scale score and age are significant predictors of mortality.     

Documenting the location of prostate biopsies with image fusion

Study Type – Diagnostic (exploratory cohort)
Level of Evidence 2b What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Currently, systematic prostate biopsies are obtained with minimal information about their actual location. This study demonstrates that a electromagnetically tracked ultrasound probe can be used to guide biopsies into specific areas of the prostate. By registering the ultrasound to an MRI scan of the prostate, obtained prior to biopsy, it is possible to accurately map the location of biopsies. Thus, if a patient requires a repeat biopsy, or there is a question about whether a specific area of the prostate was sampled, this system can be used to more accurately guide biopsies in the future. OBJECTIVE To develop a system that documents the location of transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)‐guided prostate biopsies by fusing them to MRI scans obtained prior to biopsy, as the actual location of prostate biopsies is rarely known. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty patients (median age 61) with a median prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) of 5.8 ng/ml underwent 3T endorectal coil MRI prior to biopsy. 3D TRUS images were obtained just prior to standard TRUS‐guided 12‐core sextant biopsies wherein an electromagnetic positioning device was attached to the needle guide and TRUS probe in order to track the position of each needle pass. The 3D‐TRUS image documenting the location of each biopsy was fused electronically to the T2‐weighted MRI. Each biopsy needle track was marked on the TRUS images and these were then transposed onto the MRI. Each biopsy site was classified pathologically as positive or negative for cancer and the Gleason score was determined. RESULTS The location of all (n= 605) needle biopsy tracks was successfully documented on the T2‐weighted (T2W) MRI. Among 50 patients, 20 had 56 positive cores. At the sites of biopsy, T2W signal was considered ‘positive’ for cancer (i.e. low in signal intensity) in 34 of 56 sites. CONCLUSION It is feasible to document the location of TRUS‐guided prostate biopsies on pre‐procedure MRI by fusing the pre‐procedure TRUS to an endorectal coil MRI using electromagnetic needle tracking. This procedure may be useful in documenting the location of prior biopsies, improving quality control and thereby avoiding under‐sampling of the prostate as well as directing subsequent biopsies to regions of the prostate not previously sampled.     

Copy number variations and clinical outcome in atypical spitz tumors

Atypical Spitz tumors (ASTs) are rare spitzoid neoplasms of uncertain biological behavior. Our study was designed to characterize genetic abnormalities that may help to differentiate ASTs from melanoma or Spitz nevi. We examined copy number variation in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples using an Agilent 44k array comparative genomic hybridization platform. Sixteen patients with AST (8 with positive sentinel lymph node biopsy, 1 with distant metastasis), 8 patients with Spitz nevi, and 3 patients with melanoma (2 spitzoid, 1 superficial spreading) were evaluated. Chromosomal aberrations were found in 7 of 16 ASTs, 1 with fatal outcome, 2 spitzoid melanomas, and 1 conventional melanoma. We found no difference in chromosomal instability between AST patients with positive and negative sentinel lymph node biopsies. Our patient with widely metastatic AST lacked the most frequent aberrations in melanoma involving chromosomes 6 and 11q that are loci targeted by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes developed to distinguish malignant melanoma from benign melanocytic lesions. The vast majority of chromosomal abnormalities observed in ASTs are not commonly found in melanomas, suggesting that AST may be a distinct clinical entity and raising additional questions regarding their malignant potential, prognosis, and clinical management. The current FISH probes failed to detect 1 spitzoid melanoma, 1 fatal metastatic AST case, and the other chromosomally aberrant ASTs in our series, but detected 1 spitzoid melanoma and 1 conventional melanoma. Thus, a comprehensive, genome-wide approach to chromosomal abnormalities offered greater sensitivity and specificity than current FISH probes in identifying spitzoid lesions of uncertain malignant potential in this series.