Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC): morphoproteomic-guided treatment paradigm with clinical efficacy

Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC) is a rare and highly malignant tumor that occurs in the nasal cavity and/or paranasal sinuses. Prognosis is poor despite multimodality treatment. Currently, there is no optimal standard of treatment, partially due to a lack of research defining the biology of such tumors. This report discusses two SNUC cases where patients received a novel chemotherapeutic approach using cisplatin, etoposide, Adriamycin (doxorubicin), metformin, and adjuvant melatonin therapies based on morphoproteomic-guidance, followed by consolidation with chemoradiation therapy. This resulted in excellent and objective tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging and clinical responses including complete responses in the induction phase utilizing morphoproteomic-guided therapies. Later, endoscopic excision of the tumor bed failed to reveal any residual tumor. Morphoproteomics helped to define the biology of these SNUC tumors and provided targets for the agents employed, creating a new treatment paradigm for such tumors. This treatment regimen poses a new effective regimen to treat SNUC.

Clonal evolution of a case of treatment refractory maxillary sinus carcinoma

Background

Maxillary sinus carcinoma (MSC) is a rare cancer of the head and neck region. Patients are treated with surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy and the treatment regimen is based on patient’s age, general health condition, disease stage, and its extent of spread. There is very little information available on the genetics of this disease. DNA content based flow sorting of tumor cells followed by array comparative genomic hybridization allows for high definition global assessment of distinct clonal changes within tumor populations.

Methods

We applied this technique to primary and metastatic samples collected from a patient with radio- and chemotherapy refractory maxillary sinus carcinoma to gauge the progression of this disease.

Results

A clonal KIT amplicon was present in aneuploid populations sorted from the primary tumor and in divergent subclones arising in metastatic foci found in the brain, lung, and jejunum. The evolution of these subclones was associated with distinct genetic aberrations and DNA ploidies.

Conclusion

The information presented here paves the path to understanding the development and progression of this disease.

Spindle cell sarcoma of the maxillary antrum

Maxillary antral malignancies are mostly squamous cancers. Sarcomas in this region are rare. The head and neck region houses around 8.9% of all sarcomas and spindle cell sarcomas of the maxillary antrum had rarely been reported.The presentation, pathology, clinical findings, management and short term response to treatment of a left maxillary antral spindle cell sarcoma, in a Muslim, male tobacco chewer is reported here.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of head and neck: apropos of a case

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignant neoplasm, arising from glandular tissues, found mainly in the head and neck. Generally, it presents insidiously but can behave aggressively making its course unpredictable. Surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy continue to be the cornerstone for its treatment. ACC remains extremely difficult to treat. The authors report a case of a 37-year-old woman with bloody rhinorrhea for 6 months. She was diagnosed with a left nasal cavity lesion that was biopsied, and the anatomopathological result showed ACC. The patient was submitted to a left extended maxillectomy, microsurgical reconstruction and radiotherapy.

Cavernous hemagioma of the maxillary sinus: a rare cause of epistaxis

BACKGROUND

A case of cavernous hemangioma of the maxillary.

METHOD

A 25 year old lady presented with history of nasal obstruction, recurrent epistaxis and headache. On exam she had a mass in the left osteomeatal complex that was friable and bled easily on palpation. Computerized tomography of the paranasal sinuses 2mm coronal cuts showed complete opacification of the left maxillary sinus and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 1.5 x 3 x 2.5 cm lobulated soft tissue mass lesion that enhanced with intravenous gadolinium administration, but no flow-void signals were present. Histologically, the mass was made up of dilated and anastomosing blood vessels.

RESULT

The radiologic findings may be attributed to a malignant lesion especially when extensive bone erosion is present.

CONCLUSION

Cavernous hemangioma of the maxillary sinus is a very rare benign entity that presents with recurrent epistaxis and nasal obstruction.

Combined-modality treatment improved outcome in sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma: single-institutional experience of 21 patients and review of the literature

The optimal treatment of sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC) remains unclear. We report our results on the outcome and toxicity of patients with SNUC treated by a combined modality and attempt to define the optimal treatment strategies by reviewing the literature. Between 1996 and 2010, 21 consecutive patients with SNUC were treated by any combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. End points were local control (LC), regional control (RC), disease-free (DFS), cause-specific (CSS) overall survival (OS), and late toxicity. Organ preservation was defined as visual preservation without orbital exenteration. After median follow-up of 54 months, the 5-year actuarial rates of LC, RC, DFS, CSS, and OS were 80, 90, 64, 74, and 74 % respectively. On multivariate analysis, T-stage and multimodality treatment approach correlated significantly with LC. Elective nodal irradiation was given to 42 % of high-risk node-negative patients. None of them developed regional failure. The overall 5-year incidence of grade ≥2 late toxicity was 30 %. Treatment-related blindness was significantly decreased in patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), compared to 2D and 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), with organ preservation rates of 86 and 14 % respectively (p = 0.006). We concluded that combined-modality treatment with three, or at least two, modalities resulted in good LC, but with high overall rate of late toxicity. However, the incidence of late toxicity and permanent visual impairment were decreased over time by the introduction of IMRT. Because of the improvement in therapeutic ratio achieved by using IMRT, this highly conformal radiation technique should be the standard of care in patients with SNUC.

Lymphoepithelial carcinoma: two case reports and a systematic review of oral and sinonasal cases

Lymphoepithelial carcinoma (LEC) is a rare malignancy. Histologically, it is an undifferentiated carcinoma with an intermixed reactive lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. Herein, we report two cases of LEC in the head and neck region that presented to Oulu University Hospital. Our first case is a 30-year-old man with LEC in the left maxillary sinus. The second case is a 49-year-old man with LEC in the soft palate and uvula with regional lymph node metastases at diagnosis. In addition, a systematic review of the literature from 1980 to 2010 was performed with MEDLINE and cross-references were searched manually. Case reports and clinical series of oral, oropharyngeal, nasal, and paranasal sinus LECs were reviewed revealing a total of 110 cases. Most of the oral cases were found in the tonsils (n = 29), oropharynx (n = 19), and in oral mucosa (n = 18), while sinonasal cases (n = 40) were mainly in the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity. From 37 case reports, including ours, the median age was 58 and 62 years for sinonasal and oral/oropharyngeal LECs, respectively. Oral and oropharyngeal LECs have a 70.0% tendency to metastasize and 16.6% spread locally. In contrast, none of the nasal and paranasal LECs metastasized, but 60% spread locally. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) had been detected in 87.5% of all tested LEC cases. Treatment of LECs, during the last decade, has largely consisted of surgery, combined with radiotherapy or chemoradiation. Although local spread or nodal metastases are fairly common at the time of diagnosis, the mortality rate of adequately treated LEC patients is low.

[Adenoid cystic carcinoma of maxillary sinus: diagnosis, treatment and prognostic factors]

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical characters, the outcomes of treatments and the factors affecting long-term treatment results of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the maxillary sinus.

METHODS

The clinical data of 80 patients with ACC of the maxillary sinus treated initially were analyzed retrospectively. Survival rate, local recurrence and distant metastasis were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method. Prognosis factors were analyzed by Log-rank test and Cox regression.

RESULTS

The 5-, 10- and 15-year cumulative overall survival rates were 65.2%, 37.1%, 26.3% respectively and 5-, 10-, and 15-year disease-free survival rates 50.7%, 30.7% and 24.5% respectively. The 5-, 10- and 15-year cumulative local control rates were 68.5%, 47.3% and 47.3% respectively and the cumulative distant metastasis rate were 32.8%, 48.8% and 48.8% respectively. Prognostic factors affecting survival included T stage, pathologic grade and the modes of treatment (P < 0.05). Patients with combined therapy composed of surgery and radiation had a better local control, compared with surgery or radiation alone (χ(2) = 18.33, P < 0.01), and surgery combined with postoperative radiation was prior to preoperative radiation combined with surgery (χ(2) = 6.64, P < 0.05). Patients treated with surgery combined with preoperative radiation, either with doses of ≥ 60 Gy or with negative margins, had a better local control, compared with doses < 60 Gy and with positive margins (χ(2) = 5.06, P < 0.05). The most of patients (62.8%) died of local recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

The most of failure was due to recurrence. Combined therapy composed of surgery and radiation improves the local control and survival in patients with ACC of the maxillary sinus, compared with surgery or radiation alone. Surgery combined with postoperative radiation provides the best overall survival and local control and should be the first choice of treatments.

Long-term survivors of adult rhabdomyosarcoma of maxillary sinus following multimodal therapy: case reports and literature reviews

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the maxillary sinus is uncommon in adults. The clinical course and appropriate treatment strategy for the disease remains to be elucidated. This article describes two adult patients with rhabdomyosarcoma of the maxillary sinus who achieved long-term survival after undergoing multimodal therapy. We also reviewed the literature regarding 23 patients who were 15 years of age or older and had rhabdomyosarcoma of the maxillary sinus and were treated between 1950 and 2000. Results of our analysis suggest that multimodal therapy may become the mainstay treatment for adult rhabdomyosarcoma of the maxillary sinus. We believe that adequate surgical procedures, planned radiotherapy, aggressive chemotherapeutic agents and the best supportive care for complications may improve the prognosis of patients with this disease.

[Clinical analysis of 60 cases with maxillary squamous cell carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical characters, treatment modalities and prognosis of patients with maxillary squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODS

The clinical data of 60 patients with maxillary squamous cell carcinoma treatment between January 1994 and December 2004 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were treated with three therapy modalities including radiotherapy alone (22 cases), radiotherapy and surgery (R + S, 29 cases) and concurrent chemo-radio-therapy adjuvant surgery (CCR + S, 9 cases).

RESULTS

The five year survival rate were 18.2%, 51.7% and 33.3% for patients in the radiotherapy alone group, the R + S group and the CCR + S group, respectively. Patients receiving R + S combined modality therapy had a significantly higher five year survival rate than the patients who were treated radiotherapy alone (χ(2) = 15.62, P < 0.01). The five year survival rate (51.7%) of patients in R + S group was significantly higher than that (33.3%) of patients in CCR + S group (χ(2) = 4.28, P < 0.05), and also higher than that (18.2%) of patients in radiotherapy group (χ(2) = 9.49, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The combined therapy of radiation and surgery was a good choice of treatment for the patients with maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma. The role of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy adjuvant surgery in the treatment of maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma needs further to research.

Leiomyosarcoma of the maxillary sinus

Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant smooth-muscle tumour that has a predilection for the gastrointestinal and female genital tract. It is locally fast-spreading and highly aggressive, and the prognosis is poor. We report a rare case of leiomyosarcoma of the maxilla in a patient who sought treatment for maxillary swelling, nasal obstruction with no epistaxis, orbital involvement or cervical lymph node metastasis. The patient underwent subtotal maxillectomy followed by radiotherapy. At present, he is symptom free with no recurrence and under regular follow up.

[Clinical analysis of 43 cases with carcinomas in maxillary sinus by sequent combination therapy]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical effects and life quality of 43 cases with carcinomas in maxillary sinus by sequent combination therapy.

METHOD

All the patients were subjected sequent and combination therapy, which included inductive chemotherapy through superficial temporal artery, operation and radical radiation therapy, and of these, 18 patients were added consolidation chemotherapy after combination therapy. Three year survival rate, 5- year survival rate and life quality were observed in a 5 years follow up.

RESULT

All patients completed this therapy, the overall 5-year survival rates were 46.5% (20/43) and 3-year were 65.1% (28/43). None were undertaken orbital exenteration and 12 patients recovered their ability of work and manual labour.

CONCLUSION

The sequent combination therapy is an effective method to enhance the prospective efficacy of treating the carcinoma of maxillary sinus and can raise the local controlling rate. The induced chemotherapy through the temporal artery superficial has many advantages, such as high density of topical remedy, obvious tumor regression after only a cycle chemotherapy, not delaying the surgery opportunity and so on. The consolidation chemotherapy after this combined therapy can reduce the risks of distant metastasis further.

[Treatment of advanced maxillary sinus squamous carcinoma: an analysis of 92 cases]

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

There is no satisfactory treatment for advanced maxillary sinus squamous carcinoma. The treatment strategy is controversial. This study aimed to explore a rational treatment for advanced maxillary sinus squamous carcinoma.

METHODS

Clinical data of 92 patients with stage T3-T4 maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma, treated in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from Jan.1978 to Dec.2001, were reviewed. Of the 92 patients, 21 received radiotherapy alone, 8 received surgery alone, 63 received multimodality therapy (51 received surgery combined with radiotherapy, and 12 received chemoradiotherapy).

RESULTS

The 3-and 5-year survival rates were significantly lower in radiotherapy group and surgery group than in multimodality therapy group (19.0% and 25.0% vs. 46.0%, P<0.05; 9.5% and 12.5% vs. 33.3%, P<0.05). In multimodality therapy group, the 3-and 5-year survival rates were 33.3% and 23.8% for the patients who received radiotherapy followed by surgery, 52.9% and 47.1% for the patients who received surgery follow by radiotherapy, 53.8% and 30.8% for the patients who received pre-and postoperative radiotherapy, and 50.0% and 33.3% for the patients who received chemoradiotherapy. There were no significant differences in survival rate between these four subgroups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The efficacy of multimodality therapy is better than that of single therapy strategy for advanced maxillary sinus squamous carcinoma. The best treatment pattern for advanced maxillary sinus squamous carcinoma needs further research.

Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumour occurring in the maxillary sinus

A 12-year-old boy complained of swelling of the left cheek. Fiberscopic examination revealed the presence of a soft reddish mass in the middle meatus of the left nostril. CT scan showed a large mass completely filling the left maxillary sinus. The lesion originated from the maxillary sinus and extended to the middle nasal meatus; bone destruction and invasion of the subcutaneous tissue of the cheek were noted. T2-weighted MRI images revealed a heterogeneous signal in the left maxillary sinus. Under general anaesthesia, biopsies were obtained through an intraoral incision. On pathology, atypical cells containing irregular nuclei with scanty cytoplasm were noted. The tumour cells were strongly positive for CD99 and reacted weakly with NSE however the cells were negative for synaptophysin, LCA and cytokeratin on immunohistochemical examination. Based on these findings, the tumour was diagnosed as a Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumour. The patient was treated with radiotherapy and combination chemotherapy; subsequently, the tumour's size decreased markedly. After 20 months of follow-up, the patient showed no evidence of local tumour growth or metastasis.

Stage IV primitive-appearing sinus and orbital rhabdomyosarcoma presenting in a 68-year-old female previously treated for breast cancer

A 68-year-old female who had undergone treatment several years previously for breast cancer presented with diplopia and unilateral proptosis and exposure keratopathy related to biopsy-proven rhabdomyosarcoma of the sinus and orbit. Further evaluation revealed multiple metastatic lesions felt to have originated from the primary sinus and orbital tumor. Histopathologic examination showed primitive-appearing rhabdomyosarcoma with some features suggestive of the alveolar subtype. Orbital or sinus rhabdomyosarcoma is seen almost exclusively in the pediatric population, but may very rarely occur in adults. There are several genetic mutations that appear to play a role in both rhabdomyosarcoma and certain breast tumors. There is also increasing evidence that even low doses of radiation may contribute to the future development of cancer, particularly in susceptible individuals. In our patient with atypical demographics for rhabdomyosarcoma, the previous neoplasm and treatment thereof may have predisposed to the development of this rare tumor.

[Clinical study of 36 cases with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the maxillary sinus]

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical characters, management and the prognosis of patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the maxillary sinus.

METHODS

The clinical data were analyzed retrospectively for 36 patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the maxillary sinus to evaluate the treatment results of different modalities. The contribution of every factors influencing on survival were also analyzed. Survival analysis was performed by life table method, comparison among/between groups was performed using log-rank test, and multivariate analysis was carried out using Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

The 5-year survival rate was 58.33% in all patients, while they were only 75.0% and 42.9% in stage III and stage IV lesions respectively. The 5-year survival rate of 66.7% was obtained in patients who received surgery combined with radiotherapy,71.4% and 12.5% respectively in those treated by surgery and by radiotherapy alone. Multivariate analysis indicated that stage, treatment modality, and the tumour residues in the primary treatment were the predict factors for the prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Advanced adenoid cystic carcinoma should be treated by combined surgery and radiotherapy. Stage, treatment approach and short-term therapeutic response are the most important factors affecting the prognosis of the patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the maxillary sinus.

Postradiation malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the maxillary sinus

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adults. The common sites of involvement are the retroperitoneal space and limbs. The occurrence of this tumor in the head and neck is rare. Recent studies have shown that the occurrence of malignant fibrous histiocytoma in the head and neck can follow radiotherapy for the treatment of other tumors. We, herein, report a case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma, which developed 17 years after radiotherapy of a carcinoma in the maxillary sinus.

[Is orbital exenteration indicated for extensive primary mucosal melanomas of the sinunasal system?]

Primary mucosal melanomas are most frequently localized in the sinunasal system. Orbital involvement must be excluded in the mostly advanced tumor stage. The aim of our study was to find possible indications for orbital exenteration in the T3-4 sinunasal tumor stage. We evaluated 14 treatment courses at our department from 1988 to 2004. The analysis disclosed orbital involvement in 43 % of the patients. The one patient submitted to orbital exenteration had a survival of only 28 months, which was not relevantly longer than in the other 9 patients with a T3-4 tumor stage (median survival of 27 months) or to the two patients with purely palliative treatment (survival of 10 and 21 months). We conclude that, due to the high generalized metastasis rate, radical surgical procedures can only prolong survival in individual cases of advanced-stage sinunasal tumors. Orbital decompression should be considered with reference to the quality of life.

[Sinonasal mucosal melanoma]

Mucosal melanomas of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses are rare and agresive neoplasms and carries a bad prognosis. The diagnosis may require confirmatory immunohistochemical stains (S-100 protein, HMB-45, vimentin and cytokeratine). The clinical records of 6 patients with the diagnosis of sinonasal melanomas between 1991 and 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age was 70 years (range 51 to 83 years), there were 2 men and 4 women. Surgery was performed in four patients, adjuvant radiation therapy was used in one patient after local recurrence and chemotherapy in three patients. Three of four patients (75%) had a recurrence after previous treatment (surgery). The actuarial disease-free survival for this group of 6 is 33.3% (2 of 6). Mucosal melanoma of the head and neck remains a difficult disease to treat, with high locoregional recurrence rates and poor prognosis.

Description of a neural sheath tumor of the trigeminal nerve: immunohistochemical and electron microscopy study

CONTEXT

Malignant neural sheath tumors of the trigeminal nerve affecting the nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses are extremely rare. With conventional optical microscopy, their identification is difficult, and it is necessary to confirm them by means of electron microscopy and immunohistochemical techniques.

CASE REPORT

The patient was a 41-year-old woman with a ten-month progressive history of pain followed by painful edema in the left facial region, and with symptoms of bleeding, secretion and nasal obstruction. Studies with imaging methods suggested the presence of an expansive process in the left nasal and paranasal cavities. In the biopsy, the histopathological findings from optical microscopy were suggestive of a tumor of neural origin in the trigeminal nerve. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopy studies confirmed that it was a malignant tumor of the neural sheath of the trigeminal nerve. We describe the clinical, radiological, and histological features of this tumor and review the literature.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma and orbital apex syndrome

PURPOSE

To report a case of sarcomatoid carcinoma and orbital apex syndrome in a previously healthy adult.

METHODS

A previously healthy 45-year-old man presented with exophthalmos of the left eye and a mass visible through his left nostril. A biopsy was performed and immunohistochemistry was used to confirm the diagnosis of the tumor. The patient was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

RESULTS

After treatment, we observed a substantial reduction in the size of the mass, but side effects of treatment developed. The visual acuity of the left eye was no light perception. Eight months later, the patient presented with bone and liver metastases, and he died 4 months later.

CONCLUSIONS

Sarcomatoid carcinoma is an aggressive tumor that can produce compressive symptoms with very poor visual and survival prognoses. A cranio-orbital computed tomography scan should be performed when patients present with symptoms of conjunctivitis and orbital apex syndrome.

Pattern of local relapse of maxillary sinus carcinoma

Maxillary sinus carcinoma (MSC) is a rare disease with a variety of treatment options. The present study was undertaken to review the outcome of patients with treated MSC in order to clarify the factors related to local recurrence by analyzing CT findings. The study group comprised of 47 cases, 40 males and 7 females with a median age of 61 years (range, 40- 84 years) treated between 1988 to 1996 at the department of radiotherapy. CT was taken with a slice thickness of 5 mm and contrast material was routinely used. The mean follow-up period for the group was 45.0 months (range, 3-125 months). The treatment policy was either preoperative radiotherapy of 40Gy/16fr followed by maxillectomy or radical radiotherapy of 65Gy/26fr with partial maxillectomy during the course of radiotherapy. By using CT-simulation, wedge pair techniques were used in most patients with Cobalt or 6MV X-ray machines as treatment sources. Tumor extension was categorized into the following anatomical sites: orbital contents, other paranasal sinuses, posterior wall of the maxillary sinus, pterygoid plate/muscle, nasopharynx, infra-temporal fossa, base of the skull, anterior wall of the maxillary sinus, subcutaneous tissue, cheek mucosa, hard palate and alveolar bone. Local control was computed by using the Kaplan-Meier method and p value was measured by using Chi-squared test. The 5-year overall local control rates for all patients were 56%. The local recurrence was found in 19 of 47 patients (40.4%). Tumors extending to pterygoid plates (n=13) and pterygoid muscles (n=10) showed higher rate of local recurrences as compared to those without extensions (9/13 [69%] vs 10/34 [29%], p<0.02 and 7/10 [70%] vs 12/37 [32%], p<0.05, respectively). Extensions to nasopharynx (6/9, 66%) and base of skull (4/6, 66%) also showed higher rates of recurrence; however, those were not statistically significant. More than 80% of the relapse became manifest within 12 months of diagnosis and isolated local failure was the most common pattern. This analysis indicates that tumor extension to pterygoid plate/muscles, results in higher rates of recurrences. This may due to the difficult surgical accessibility of the tumor. During radiotherapy planning, special emphasis should be given to this sites of tumor extension to avoid possible local recurrence.

Two cases of malignant melanoma in turbinate and maxillary sinus

Malignant melanomas develop from malignant transformation of melanocytes that are present in the skin and mucosal linings throughout the body. The overall rate of mucosal melanoma is rare and malignant melanomas developing from turbinates or maxillary sinuses are extremely rare. Symptoms of nasal melanoma are generally nonspecific, and patients often fail to seek prompt medical attention. Diagnosis can be confirmed by the immunochemical profile of staining with anti-S100 and HMB-45 antibodies, even in the case of melanin-free pigment melanoma. The present study reports two cases of primary malignant melanoma in the turbinate and maxillary sinus.