Thesis (DScPT)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed on June 29, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 28-33).

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2010.

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Lund, 1997. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

Thesis (doctoral)--Katholieke Universiteit te Nijmegen.

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Lund, 1997. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Submitted by INGRID DA SILVA SANTOS null (iingridsantos@hotmail.com) on 2017-06-26T03:09:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação de Mestrado_Repositório UNESP_INGRID DA SILVA SANTOS.pdf: 1875360 bytes, checksum: b760f2a2958eb68922d78501172c5f4e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-06-28T16:45:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_is_me_araca_par.pdf: 1437951 bytes, checksum: 9bb3ef4b8f15e4259996185982c7950e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-28T16:45:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_is_me_araca_par.pdf: 1437951 bytes, checksum: 9bb3ef4b8f15e4259996185982c7950e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-02 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (FAPEAM) / Evidências sugerem que o papilomavírus humano (HPV) está associado com um subgrupo de carcinomas de células escamosas da cabeça e pescoço (HNSCC). No entanto, a prevalência do HPV varia substancialmente dependendo do local anatômico e da região geográfica estudada. Aqui, nosso objetivo foi investigar a prevalência do HPV em amostras de tecido fresco de pacientes brasileiros com carcinoma de células escamosas (CEC) de boca e orofaringe combinando dois métodos confiáveis para a detecção do HPV. Foram recrutadas trinta e seis amostras de tecido fresco provenientes de CEC de boca (n= 27) e orofaringe (n= 9) para análises. As características sociodemográficas, estilo de vida e clinicopatológicas foram coletadas através dos prontuários. O DNA do HPV foi detectado por dois métodos: reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) em tempo real através de ensaio qualitativo de presença ou ausência do HPV-16, e testado para 37 genótipos usando Linear Array. A amplificação do gene β -globina funcionou como controle interno positivo para a análise do DNA em todas as amostras. O DNA do HPV não foi detectado em nenhum dos casos de amostras de tecido de pacientes com CEC em ambos os métodos utilizados. A ausência do HPV observada em nosso estudo pode sugerir que este não é um fator de risco prevalente nos CECs de boca e orofaringe nesta região geográfica. Os fatores de risco clássicos para o desenvolvimento desses tumores parecem ser ainda a principal causa nessa população brasileira. Investigações detalhadas do estilo de vida com maior amostragem precisam ser melhor exploradas para compreensão da baixa prevalência encontrada. / Evidence suggests that human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with a subgroup of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC). However, the prevalence of HPV varies substantially depending on the anatomical site and geographic region studied. Here, our goal was to investigate the prevalence of HPV in fresh tissue samples from Brazilian patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity and oropharynx by combining two reliable methods for the detection of the HPV DNA. We recruited thirty-six fresh tissue samples from SCC of the oral cavity (n= 27) and oropharynx (n= 9) for analysis. The sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinicopathological characteristics were obtained from individual medical records. HPV DNA was detected by two methods: real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) through the qualitative assay of presence or absence for HPV-16, and tested for 37 genotypes by the Roche Linear Array. Amplification of the β-globin gene functioned as a positive internal control for DNA analysis in all samples. HPV DNA was detected in none of the tissue samples from patients with SCC in both methods. The absence of HPV observed in our study may suggest that this is not a prevalent risk factor in SCC of the oral cavity and oropharynx in this geographical region. The classic risk factors for the development of these tumors seem to be still the main cause in this Brazilian population. Detailed investigations of lifestyle with larger sample needs to be better explored to understand the low prevalence found. / FAPEAM: 120/2015

IMPORTANCE: Advanced stage head and neck cancers are often deemed unresectable due to the aggressive nature of the cancer. In evaluating survival patterns of patients with stage IVb tumors, it is valuable to determine whether patients who undergo oncological surgery have favorable outcomes in order to deem surgery as a viable treatment option and demonstrate that these patients can survive with adequate treatment. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with stage IVb cancers who undergo oncological surgery have favorable survival outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 320 cases reviewed of patients treated for head and neck cancer at Boston Medical Center between June 2009 and October 2014, 18 patients with stage IVb tumors were identified. Information regarding date of initial diagnosis, date and type of treatment, and date of death were extrapolated from medical records. Mean survival rates were calculated to compare survival outcomes of those who received and those who did not receive surgical intervention. RESULTS: The mean survival rate for patients who underwent surgical intervention was found to be 29.5 months while those who did not receive surgical intervention had a mean survival of 20.83 months. CONCLUSION: Cancers of the head and neck are associated with poor prognoses and are often deemed unresectable. Patients should be offered definitive treatment despite recommended palliative treatment, as, with adequate treatment, favorable survival outcomes are attainable.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) accounts for 3-5% of all malignancies in the United States and is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Over the past two decades, radiation therapy (RT) has become a frequent therapeutic strategy, however one of its side effects, dysphagia has had a huge impact on patients’ quality of life. The value of determining the true prevalence of dysphagia is remarkable, which is what prompted us to carry out a study to determine the prevalence, trends, and risk factors for dysphagia following completion of RT over one year in patients diagnosed with HNC at Boston Medical Center over a 7-year period. A retrospective cohort study was conducted that involved a chart review of the medical records of all patients who completed RT for HNC cancer from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2009 at Boston University Medical Center. 113 eligible patients were who had comprehensive treatment and follow up data at 3, 6, 9 or 12 months post RT were analyzed. Outcome variables of interest included feeding tube status, diet status, subjective swallow status, and percent weight loss from end of RT. 113 patients were identified for this study, of which 31% (n=35) were female and 69% (n=78) were male. Average age was 58.6 years old (35 to 88). The most common cancer sites were oropharynx and nasopharynx (38.9%) as well as hypopharynx and larynx (31%). 71.7% of the cohort had chemotherapy (CT) in addition to RT, and about half the patients had some degree of surgery. Altogether, the most “clinically meaningful” indicator of dysphagia (diet level of moderate/severe diet restriction) showed that the prevalence or probability of dysphagia to be 49% at 3 months, 56% at 6 months, 45% at 9 months, and 31% at 12 months. Our results suggest that about half the patients who undergo RT may be expected to develop a significant swallowing dysfunction in the first year following RT. This is extremely useful data for a health care provider to present to a patient after diagnosis of HNC and should complement counseling provided to them at the time of creating a treatment plan. Interestingly most of the patients who developed moderate/severe dysphagia did so within the first 6 months of completion of RT. Only oral cavity as cancer site was associated with moderate/severe dysphagia in our cohort of patients.

Emerging from potentially malignant disorders that in most cases will never become cancerous, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a cancer that is extremely difficult to diagnose early. This late stage diagnosis has allowed limited improvements in overall survival (OS) as patients are prone to local recurrence, secondary primary tumors, and distant metastasis. As a result, it has become vitally important to assess the prognostic value of biological marker screening to provide an avenue for early diagnosis and identification of local recurrence or residual secondary tumor sites. Many characteristic markers such as EGFR, p16, p53 and VEGF that are constitutively mutated in HNSCC have been identified. However, the dysregulation of VEGF marks a landmark mutation that accelerates the diseases progression and spread. An angiogenic protein normally expressed in response to hypoxic conditions, VEGF allows the creation of new vasculature to remove catabolites and bestows resistance to normal cellular apoptotic signals; pathways often employed by chemotherapeutics. Therefore, early identification of VEGF poses a unique opportunity to employ aggressive therapeutic regimens in combination with precision surgical resection to eliminate the cancer before neovascualture invasion has occurred and the tumor has expanded significantly. For this reason, this review will examine the current literature available on VEGFs role in HNSCC, its value as a prognostic marker.