Supracricoid laryngectomy revisited

In this article, the authors report on the long-term (five- and 10-year) survival, local recurrence rate and cause of death in a cohort of 46 patients with T3M0N0 glottic carcinoma undergoing supracricoid laryngectomy. The five- and 10-year survival were 78%...

Evolution of salivary gland pathology classifications

Targeted therapies for malignant salivary gland tumours have changed the treatment paradigm and therapy approaches. Better outcomes are now feasible. Choosing the treatment method requires a clear classification of the lesions. The authors of this paper reviewed the World Health...

Occurrence of cancer in asymmetrical tonsillar enlargement in adults

With significant increase in head and neck cancer in the last decade, attributed to HPV, fast-track referrals from primary care have markedly increased, adding further to the burden on the NHS. Whether or not unilateral tonsillar enlargement alone, without red...

Cervical tracheal reconstruction

This Chinese animal study looked at the use of a xenogenic acellular dermal matrix for tracheal reconstruction. The authors took a total of 22 rabbits and divided them into an experimental (repair with xenogenic acellular dermal matrix) and control group...

How long after head and neck cancer diagnosis do patients need opioids?

With the advances in the management of head and neck cancer (HNC), patients tend to survive longer after their diagnosis. These people face the burden of chronic pain management which is strongly associated with HNC. A HNC team in Portland...

A time-saving method for faster cancer diagnosis and treatment

One of the main impediments in achieving UK Government cancer diagnosis and treatment targets is lack of diagnostic capacity. An increase in head and neck cancers by 50% in the last five years has put on additional strain. In this...

Retrospective review of paediatric salivary gland tumours

As is the case with adults, primary tumours of the salivary glands in children comprise a heterogeneous collection of different histological types. This paper presents a retrospective review of primary salivary gland tumours in children treated over the course of...

ChatGPT Quiz skills need refinement!

On 30 November 2022, ChatGPT was launched, free for all to use online. For those who are not aware, ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot which utilises the web to create detailed and natural human-like...

Parapharyngeal space tumours – is the transoral approach effective?

Several approaches are described to the parapharyngeal space to permit resection of tumours in this region, with the most commonly employed approach being the transcervical route. The transoral approach remains somewhat controversial as it is felt that this approach can...

Extracapsular dissection alone for low-grade malignancies of the parotid gland – oncologically sound?

The general treatment strategy advocated for a primary carcinoma of the parotid gland is surgical resection +/- adjuvant radiotherapy. A selective neck dissection is usually recommended in all cases of parotid malignancies, except for small, low-grade tumours. In this paper,...

How reliable are PTH levels for the prediction of hypocalcaemia after thyroid surgery?

Hypoparathyroidism is one of the most common complications of thyroid surgery. There is significant controversy in calcium management practices post thyroid surgery. The drop in PTH levels has been used to predict the likelihood of hypocalcaemia after thyroid surgery. But...

How to improve olfaction and enhance quality of life after laryngectomy

Total laryngectomy diverts airflow away from the nose and, hence, olfaction is greatly impaired. Undoubtedly, this affects quality of life in terms of loss of taste and flavour. Surgery and devices to re-establish airflow into the nose can be difficult...