• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.89-93
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• 2017

Background. Ever since the first report of deltopectoral flap in pharyngo-esophageal reconstruction in 1965, various methods of flap reconstruction have been introduced, allowing surgical eradication of tumors that were once thought to be inoperable. Despite these advancement, many literatures emphasize distant metastasis and second primary malignancies as the most important factors that contribute to the low 5-year survival rate of the patients. Specific consensus about defining second primary cancer is still debatable, due to small number of reports regarding second primary tumors arising in flaps used for reconstruction of defects in the head and neck region. Case. We report a case of a 72-year-old male patient who, under the diagnosis of hypopharyngeal cancer, underwent total laryngectomy with partial pharyngectomy, extended right radical neck dissection with extended left lateral neck dissection, right hemithyroidectomy and radial forearm free flap reconstruction on June 16, 2003. After 37 cycles of radiation therapy, the patient exhibited no sign of recurrence. The patient revisited our department on June 14, 2016 with chief complaint of dysphagia that started two months before the visit. Radiologic studies and histology revealed squamous cell carcinoma in neopharynx, one that had been reconstructed with forearm free flap. Conclusion. Until now, only a handful of reports regarding patients with second primary cancer in reconstructed flaps have been described. Despite its rarity, diagnostic criteria for second primary cancer should always kept in consideration for patients with recurred tumor.

• International journal of thyroidology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2018

Metastases to regional cervical lymph nodes occur frequently in patients with thyroid cancer. The appropriate management of regional lymph node is important to achieve good disease control and to classify risk stratification for adjuvant radioactive iodine. However, there are some occasions that neck dissection is difficult and embarrassing in thyroid cancer. Especially, extensive or unusual nodal metastases bring challenges and makes neck dissection more difficult. Carotid artery management is one of the most difficult procedure in neck dissection. The management of patients who have persistent or recurrent cervical metastasis involving the carotid artery has been controversial and treatment dilemma to the surgeon. Metastasis of well differentiated thyroid cancer to the retropharyngeal lymph nodes is rare but occasionally encountered. The complete surgical excision is usually recommended for retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis of well differentiated thyroid cancer. An extensive mediastinal dissection in advanced differentiated thyroid carcinoma is occasionally required. This paper will review recent reports of management of advanced nodal metastasis of thyroid cancer and share the author's personal experience.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.172-176
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• 2004

Background and Objectives: Standard treatment of locally advanced laryngeal, hypopharyngeal, and some oropharyngeal cancers includes total laryngectomy. In an attempt to preserve the larynx through induction chemotherapy, we designed induction chemotherapy followed by definitive radiation in patients with potentially respectable head and neck cancer to determine whether organ preservation is feasible without apparent compromise of survival. Materials and Methods: The twenty-six patients diagnosed advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Stage III or IV (AJCC 2002) and performed organ preservation protocols in Ajou university hospital from 1994 to 2001 were included in this study. Results: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy showed an overall response rate of 84.6% and a complete remission (CR) rate was 59.1% following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. Seven of thirteen patients were able to preserve their larynges for more than two years by chemotherapy and radiation. There were no treatment related mortality after 2 cycles of induction chemotherapy. Conclusion: Although Organ preservation protocol through neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation need more controlled randomized study, it was considered alternative treatment modality in advanced head and neck cancer.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.sup1
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• pp.6-13
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• 2008

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common type of human cancer worldwide. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer of the head and neck. Since $^{18}F-FDG$ PET is very sensitive to detecting squamous cell carcinoma, it has been widely used in patients with head and neck cancers for initial staging, management of recurrent cancers, and therapeutic monitoring. According to clinical research data, $^{18}F-FDG$ PET is expected to be a very helpful diagnostic tool in the management of head and neck cancer.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 1999

Objectives: The records of 936 patients with previously untreated carcinoma of the head and neck were reviewed in order to define the incidence and topographical distribution of neck node metastasis on admission. Materials and Methods: The common regions of metastasis are presented for each of the 12th individual head and neck sites selected for study. Results and Conclusion: Knowledge of the preferred areas of spread and those that are almost never involved allows the design of more adequate radiation therapy plans to manage the individual tumors.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2009

Objectives : In $CO_2$ laser surgery for supraglottic cancer, neck dissection is generally done in second stage. We investigated simultaneous neck dissection with primary resection could be available in laser supraglottic surgery. Material and Methods : We analyzed 13 patients with supraglottic cancer who were treated with transoral supraglottic laryngectomy and simultaneous neck dissection from 2001 to 2007. Tumor stage, extent of laser surgery, histological results, survival rate, local control rate, complications, and functional results were reviewed. Results : 5-year local control rate, survival rate and disease specific survival rate from the neck was 100%, 69.9%, 100% respectively. Tracheotomy was done in all 13 cases. One patient had a long tracheotomy indwelling (191 days). In the rest of 12 patients average decanulation time was 7.4 days(1-22 days). Nasogastric tube was inserted in 5 cases, and average oral intake was possible in 3.5 days(1-16 days). Average hospital days was 29.7 days. There was no serious complication associated with neck dissection. Conclusion : Simultaneous neck dissection with primary laser resection for supraglottic cancer is oncologic sound and can be performed without significant surgical morbidity.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2020

Background: Free-flap reconstruction for recurrent head and neck cancer may be challenging depending on the previous treatments, those are, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, including neck dissection or free tissue transfer. Specifically, the previous treatment could compromise the neck vessels, thereby making free-flap reconstruction more difficult. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between previous treatments and vascular compromise of the free flap. Methods: In this retrospective study, 124 free-flap reconstructions in 116 patients for recurrent head and neck cancer between 1993 and 2017 were investigated. The demographic characteristics, previous treatments, flap choices, infections, recipient vessels, and vascular crises were evaluated. Results: Of the 124 reconstruction cases, 10 had vascular crises. There were six revisions, totaling six flap failures. The success rate of free-flap reconstruction for recurrent cancer was 95.2%, which significantly differed from that for primary cancer (98.8%, p= 0.006). Moreover, in the recurrent cancer group, no correlation was found between previous treatments and vascular crises (p> 0.05). Increased rates of contralateral or uncommon anastomoses were found following neck dissection (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Previous neck dissection or radiotherapy could lead to scarring and tissue damage, which could in turn make microvascular reconstruction more challenging; however, the effect was not definite in this study. Approximately 60% of patients with previous neck dissection had compromised ipsilateral recipient vessels, which resulted in contralateral or uncommon anastomoses. In this study, free-flap reconstruction seems to be quite safe and preferable in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer based on the overall survival rate.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.220-224
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and characteristics of second primary malignancy (SPM) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated at a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 221 patients who underwent surgery with or without adjuvant treatment for head and neck cancer from 2000 to 2002. Data of age, sex, risk factors, sites of primary and SPM, TNM stage of primary tumor, incidence of SPM, and survival were collected from medical charts. Results: Eighteen patients developed SPM during a median follow-up of 67 months, with an overall incidence of 8.14%. In addition, 77.7% of SPMs occurred in the oral cavity, followed by 11% in the lungs. The 5-year overall survival after the diagnosis of SPM in the head or neck was 70%, compared to 30% for SPM in other body regions. Conclusion: Considering a high incidence of SPM, i.e., 8.14%, in a mean follow-up period of 67 months suggests the need for long-term follow-up. Since treatment of SPM has shown an acceptable survival rate, early detection and curative therapy should be emphasized.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.172-178
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• 2015

Purpose: To investigate clinical outcomes of synchronous head and neck and esophageal cancer (SHNEC). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 27 SHNEC patients treated with curative intent at a single institution. The treatment modality for individual cases was usually determined on a case by case basis. Results: The median follow-up duration for the surviving patients was 28.2 months. The most common site of head and neck cancer was hypopharyngeal carcinoma (n = 21, 77.7%). The lower esophagus was the most common location of esophageal carcinoma (n = 16, 59.3%). The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 57.5% and 39.6%. Major pattern of failure was locoregional recurrence in the study patients. Esophageal cancer stage, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, and pretreatment weight loss were significant prognostic factors for OS in univariate analysis. Treatment-related death was observed in two patients, and one patient developed a grade 4 late treatment-related complication. Conclusion: Although the survival outcome for SHNEC is poor, long-term survival might be achievable with aggressive treatment with stage I-II esophageal cancer and good performance.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.813-818
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• 2014

Aims: To describe our institutional experience with high dose rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy (IBT) compared with previously reported results on the low dose rate (LDR) practice for head and neck cancer. Materials and Methods: Eighty-four patients with oral cavity (n=70) or oropharyngeal cancer (n=14) were treated with 192Ir HDR-IBT. Seventy-eight patients had stage I or II tumour. The patients treated with IBT alone (n=42) received 39-42 Gy/10-14 fractions (median=40 Gy/10 fractions). With respect to the combination therapy group (n=42), prescription dose comprised of 12-18 Gy/3-6 fractions (median=15 Gy/5 fractions) for IBT and 40-50 Gy/20-25 fractions (median=50 Gy/25 fractions) for external radiotherapy. Brachytherapy was given as 2 fractions per day 6 hours apart with 4 Gy per fraction for monotherapy and 3 Gy per fraction for combination therapy. Results: Four patients were not evaluable in the analysis of outcome. The primary site relapse rates were 23.8% (10/42) and 68.4% (26/38) in patients treated with IBT alone and combination therapy, respectively (p<0.001). Salvage surgery was performed in 19 patients. The 5-year local control rate was estimated at 62% and the disease-free survival (DFS) rate at 52% for all patients. Local control with respect to T1 and T2 tumours was 84% and 42%, respectively. Conclusions: Our present series on HDR-IBT and the previous report on LDR-IBT for head and neck cancer demonstrated similar DFS rates at 5 years (52%). The rate of regional failure in node-negative patients was <20% in both of our series. HDR-IBT offers similar results to LDR-IBT for head and neck cancer.