Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in childhood and adolescence

Oral and dental late effects in long-term survivors of childhood embryonal brain tumors

PURPOSE

To investigate oral and dental late effects in survivors of childhood brain tumors medulloblastoma (MB) and central nervous system supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor (CNS-PNET).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study assessed oral and dental late effects in MB/CNS-PNET survivors treated before 20 years of age, and with a minimum of 2 years since treatment. Participants went through an oral and radiographic examination. We assessed oral status using the decayed-missing-filled index (DMFT), oral dryness, maximum mouth opening (MMO), fungal infection, and registration of dental developmental disturbances (DDD) in the form of hypodontia, microdontia, and enamel hypoplasia.

RESULTS

The 46 participants' mean age at enrolment was 27 ± 12.8 years and at treatment 8.5 ± 5.2 years, and the mean time since treatment was 18.9 ± 12 years. Over a third (35%) of survivors had reduced mouth opening (mean 29.3 ± 5.6 mm (range 16-35)). A significantly lower MMO was found in individuals treated ≤ 5 years compared to survivors treated > 5 years (p = 0.021). One or more DDD were registered in 30.4% of the survivors, with a significantly higher prevalence in individuals treated ≤ 5 years (p < 0.001). Hypodontia was the most prevalent type of DDD. There was no difference in DMFT score in relation to age at treatment. Oral dryness was not frequently reported or observed in these survivors.

CONCLUSION

Survivors of childhood MB/CNS-PNET are at risk of oral and dental late effects including reduced mouth opening and DDD. The risk is highest in survivors treated before the age of 5.

Epidemiological Profile and Clinicopathological, Therapeutic, and Prognostic Characteristics of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Northern Morocco

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a multifactorial disease mainly affecting the Asian and North African populations including Morocco. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological profile of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Northern Morocco as well as its clinicopathological, therapeutic, and prognostic characteristics.

Methods

129 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma followed at the regional center of oncology of Tangier in the period between April 2017 and July 2019, and diagnosed elsewhere from March 2000 to February 2019, were included in this study. Statistical analysis of the data was realized using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.

Results

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) represented 5% of all cases with a median age of 50. The most affected age group was 40–54 years (41.1%). Of all patients, 65.9% were men and 34.1% were women with a sex ratio of 1.93 (Male/Female). Undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinomas were the most common histological type affecting 96.12% of patients. At diagnosis, the majority of patients (82.2%) had an advanced stage of NPC (III, VIa, b, c) including 5.4% of metastatic cases (IVc). Most cases (86%) had lymph node involvement with cervical mass being the most common clinical presentation. 81.4% of patients received radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Among these patients, 54.3% had concurrent radiochemotherapy preceded by induction chemotherapy. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 86.8% for all patients. It represented 91.3% for early stages, 87.9% for locally advanced stages, and 57.1% for the metastatic stage significantly. The disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years was 87.6% knowing that relapse occurred in 16 cases.

Conclusions

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a particular disease with a late declaration. It is common in Morocco as is the case in other endemic areas with a high prevalence. Patients’ survival is significantly influenced by disease staging.

Predictive epidemiological and clinical factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis: Adult versus pediatric population

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to compare the clinical presentation and the cancer staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) between pediatric and adult populations to highlight the main characteristics of this disease within the two subgroups.

MATERIEL AND METHODS

It is a retrospective study including all patients with a primary diagnosis of NPC over a period of 19 years. The pediatric group included patients aged less then 16 years old.

RESULTS

A total of 80 patients were included. The pediatric population represented 22.5% of the cases. No difference in gender distribution was found (p˃.05). The most common presenting symptom was neck mass in children (77.8% vs. 48.4%, p = .02), and nasal obstruction in adult patients (64.5% vs. 16.7%, p < .01). The median time between the presenting symptom's onset and the diagnosis was 5 months. The diagnosis of NPC was delayed in pediatric patients compared to adults (<0.05). We noted a predominance of patients with stages III and IV (32.5% and 40%, respectively) with no difference between the two subgroups (p˃.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study showed some differences in NPC clinical features between pediatric patients and adults. Neck mass was the most common symptom in children. The initial presentation is sometimes misleading. NPC was mainly diagnosed in advanced locoregional stages in both pediatric and adult patients. Efforts toward early diagnosis are of great importance.

Comparison of Prognosis Between Juvenile and Adult Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Purpose

To investigate whether juvenile patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in China have better prognosis than their adult counterparts in the intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) era, after controlling for potential confounding variables.

Methods

Data pertaining to 1139 patients with newly diagnosed NPC without metastasis, who were treated with IMRT at our hospital, were retrospectively analyzed. Of these, 60 patients were juvenile (age ≤18 years) diagnosed between January 2003 and December 2018, while 1079 patients were adults (≤65 years) diagnosed between January 2013 and December 2014. To minimize the influence of selection and confounding bias, 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM) was used. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and between-group differences assessed using the Log rank test. The long-term toxicity of the juvenile patients was evaluated according to the criteria of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0.

Results

Five-year OS of juvenile and adult patients were 88.07% and 85.08%, respectively. Before PSM, OS, PFS, DMFS, or LRFS were comparable in the two groups (all P > 0.05). After PSM, OS, DFS, and LRFS in the juvenile group were markedly longer than that in adults (P = 0.005, P = 0.027, and P = 0.024, respectively). With respect to long-term toxicity, the most common adverse effects in juvenile patients were cervix fibrosis, ototoxicity, and xerostomia. However, except for two patients who developed grade 3 ototoxicity, all adverse effects were within grade 2.

Conclusion

In the IMRT era, juvenile Chinese patients with NPC had better 5-year OS, DFS, and LRFS than their adult counterparts. The adverse events in the juvenile cohort were relatively mild; however, the risk of severe ototoxicity should not be neglected.

Pediatric Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Rare Tumor in a Developing Country-What Do We Learn?

BACKGROUND/AIM

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is rare in children, accounting for 1% of pediatric malignancies. The 5-fluorouracil Cisplatin regimen could be considered as a standard of care induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant chemoradiotherapy. This study aimed at detecting the survival outcome in correlation with different prognostic factors together with the toxicity of different treatment modalities.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective study carried out from 2007 to 2016 that included all NPC patients below 18 years treated at the National Cancer Institute, Egypt.

RESULTS

A total of 21 patients were included with a median follow-up period of 33.9 months. The median age was 14.8 years (range: 9 to 18). All patients were treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5- fluorouracil, followed by concurrent radiotherapy (median dose: 61.2 Gy) and cisplatin as a radiosensitizer. After induction chemotherapy, the response rate was 53%. After completion of treatment, 67% had a complete response; partial response was seen in 14%; and progressive disease was seen in 19%. By the end of the study, 7 (33.3%) patients had progression/relapse; 4 of them died from disease. The 3-year overall survival and event-free survival were 85.7% and 66.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy was an effective strategy in the treatment of pediatric NPC with good overall survival and event-free survival. High systemic failure (33.3%) remains another challenge to solve. More efforts should be made to improve survival by developing more efficient systemic treatment modalities, especially for progressive/relapsed disease. Multicenter studies on a larger number of patients are needed to identify different prognostic factors and standardize treatment strategies.

Biopsy Examination Validity Based on Narrow Band Imaging Guidance of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Suspected Patients

The diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is established based on histopathological examination results of tumor tissue in nasopharynx and narrow band imaging (NBI) which is an imaging technique that utilizes specific displacement and light absorption characteristics of a specific wavelength. It has not known yet the validity of nasopharyngeal biopsy examination results based on NBI guidance and blind biopsy as a golden standard in establishing nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis. Analyzing the validity of the nasopharyngeal biopsy examination results through NBI guidance and blind biopsy as a golden standard in nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis. NPC patients performed biopsy using NBI then performed blind biopsy and the results of both examinations were analyzed. Histopathologic examination results of blind biopsy were 23 samples with NPC positive (52.3%) and 21 samples with NPC negative (47.7%). On histopathology examination using NBI guidance 34 samples (77.3%) were positive malignant cells and 10 samples (22.7%) were negative malignant cells. It was calculated and obtained the following results; sensitivity = 95.7%, specificity = 42.9%, positive predictive value = 64.7%, negative predictive value = 90.0%, and accuracy = 70%. Furthermore, statistical analysis using McNemar comparative test and Kappa association test were performed. In McNemar comparative test obtained p value = 0.003 and in Kappa association test obtained p value = 0.002. Histopathologic biopsy examination results using NBI guidance were only valid in stage IV NPC compared to blind biopsy.

Long-Term Endocrine and Metabolic Consequences of Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review

The number of patients surviving ≥5 years after initial cancer diagnosis has significantly increased during the last decades due to considerable improvements in the treatment of many cancer entities. A negative consequence of this is that the emergence of long-term sequelae and endocrine disorders account for a high proportion of these. These late effects can occur decades after cancer treatment and affect up to 50% of childhood cancer survivors. Multiple predisposing factors for endocrine late effects have been identified, including radiation, sex, and age at the time of diagnosis. A systematic literature search has been conducted using the PubMed database to offer a detailed overview of the spectrum of late endocrine disorders following oncological treatment. Most data are based on late effects of treatment in former childhood cancer patients for whom specific guidelines and recommendations already exist, whereas current knowledge concerning late effects in adult-onset cancer survivors is much less clear. Endocrine sequelae of cancer therapy include functional alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, and gonadal regulation as well as bone and metabolic complications. Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy all contribute to these sequelae. Following irradiation, endocrine organs such as the thyroid are also at risk for subsequent malignancies. Although diagnosis and management of functional and neoplastic long-term consequences of cancer therapy are comparable to other causes of endocrine disorders, cancer survivors need individually structured follow-up care in specialized surveillance centers to improve care for this rapidly growing group of patients.

Treatment outcome of childhood nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A single institution experience

OBJECTIVES

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a rare malignancy in children. The aim of this study was to provide analysis of children with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated in a single institution.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Between 1999 and 2016, fourteen pediatric patients with a diagnosis of undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma were treated in our institution, and the patients' clinical characteristics, treatment modality, outcome, and toxicity were analyzed.

RESULTS

The median age at diagnosis was 15,5 years. The gender ratio was 1:1. The majority of patients had regionally and/or locally advanced tumors and one had bone metastases at the time of diagnosis. All patients received chemotherapy before radiotherapy, with partial response in thirteen patients and complete response in one. Radiation dose to the primary tumor and involved cervical lymph nodes was 55-60 Gy, uninvolved cervical and supraclavicular regions received prophylactic radiation with dose of 45-50 Gy. Ten patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Three-year progression-free rate and three-year overall survival (OS) rates were 75% and 73% respectively. Five-year progression-free rate was 65% and OS 63% respectively, and after ten years progression-free rate and OS remained the same. At the end of follow-up period, ten patients were alive, and four died. All of the patients that had distant metastases died. Most common late complications were skin fibrosis and xerostomia.

CONCLUSIONS

Multimodal therapy of children with nasopharyngeal carcinoma is associated with long-term survival. It is expected that further advances in the management of these patients, with improved radiotherapy and chemotherapy, will reduce acute and late toxicity and improve quality of life of treated children.

TPF induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Long term results of a Tunisian series

PURPOSE

We represent in this study the long term results of docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy in Tunisian patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The objective of our study is to analyse the efficacy as well as the toxicity of this therapeutic protocol.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between January 2004 and December 2008, 32 patients with locoregional advanced non metastatic disease (T2b or above and/or N1 or above AJCC 2002) were treated in our institution by three cycles of docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil induction chemotherapy every 21 days followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Conventional radiotherapy was delivered using a cobalt 60 machine during 7 weeks with weekly cisplatin (40mg/m²).

RESULTS

Twenty-nine patients (90%) had presented an objective clinical response in lymph nodes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with a complete response in 28%. Acute toxicity of docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil induction chemotherapy was dominated by vomiting (59%), asthenia (40.6%), diarrhea (34.4%) and febrile neutropenia (15.6%). The complete response rate after the end of treatment was around 80%. The 5 years overall survival and disease-free survival were respectively 68.2% and 67.5%.

CONCLUSION

Our results, in this field of study, are encouraging with acceptable toxicity despite the lack of intensity-modulated radiotherapy technique in our institution during the period of study.

Induction Methotrexate, Cisplatin, and 5-Fluorouracil Versus Cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil Followed by Radiotherapy in Pediatric Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis in a Tertiary Cancer Center

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to compare treatment outcomes of methotrexate, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (MPF) or cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (PF) in pediatric NPC patients treated with sequential chemoradiotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 25 patients aged 18 years or below with stage II-IV NPC treated with IC using PF (n=16) or MPF (n=9) followed by radiotherapy between 2003 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Radiotherapy dose was 61.2 to 66.6 Gy to the gross disease. Age, stage, radiation dose, and chemotherapy regimen were tested as prognostic factors for event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) on univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The median age at diagnosis was 13.3 years. All patients completed planned chemotherapy. All patients who received MPF achieved PR whereas 15 patients (93.8%) who received PF achieved PR (P=1). There were no differences in EFS (68.75% vs. 66.67%; P=0.84) and OS (81.25% vs. 66.67%; P=0.39) at 5 years between PF and MPF, respectively. On multivariate analysis, only tumor stage (IV vs. II-III) predicted worse OS (hazard ratio, 10.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.197-88.974) but not EFS (hazard ratio, 4.805; 95% confidence interval, 0.95-24.336). Distant metastases was the predominant site of failure, seen in 5 patients (20%).

CONCLUSIONS

Omission of methotrexate from the induction chemotherapy regimen did not affect treatment outcome.

A retrospective study comparing the outcomes and toxicities of intensity-modulated radiotherapy versus two-dimensional conventional radiotherapy for the treatment of children and adolescent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Purpose

To compare the clinical outcomes and toxicities of two-dimensional conventional radiotherapy (2D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for the treatment of children and adolescent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods

A total of 176 children with non-metastatic NPC treated at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between October 2003 and September 2013 were included in this study. Of the 176 patients, 74 received 2D-CRT and 102 were treated with IMRT. The clinical outcomes and acute and late toxicities were determined and compared.

Results

The IMRT group achieved significantly higher overall survival (OS) (90.4% vs. 76.1% at 5 year, P = 0.007) and disease-free survival (DFS) (85.7% vs. 71.2%, P = 0.029) mainly due to an improvement in locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) (97.9 vs. 88.3%, P = 0.049). After stratification by disease stage, IMRT provided significant benefits for patients with stage III–IV disease in terms of OS, LRRFS and DFS. Multivariate analyses indicated that the treatment group (2D-CRT vs. IMRT) was a prognostic factor for OS, LRRFS and DFS. A significant reduction in Grade 2–4 xerostomia (52.7 vs. 34.3%, P = 0.015) and hearing loss (40.5 vs. 22.5%, P = 0.010) was observed in patients treated by IMRT.

Conclusion

IMRT provides better locoregional relapse-free survival and overall survival, especially in late-stage children and adolescent NPC patients, and is associated with a lower incidence of Grade 2–4 xerostomia as well as hearing loss compared with 2D-CRT. Distant metastasis remains a challenge in the treatment of children and adolescent NPC.

Phage-display screening identifies LMP1-binding peptides targeting the C-terminus region of the EBV oncoprotein

Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), a major oncoprotein of Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) is responsible for transforming B lymphocytes in vitro. LMP1 is overexpressed in several EBV-associated malignancies, and different approaches have been developed to reduce its level and accordingly its oncogenic function in tumor tissues. This study aimed to use phage display peptide library to obtain peptides which could specifically bind to the cytoplasmic region of LMP1 to prevent its interaction with signaling proteins. The LMP1 C-terminus region was produced in bacterial E. coli and used as target for the phage library panning. After 3 rounds, 20 phage clones were randomly selected and 8 showed high binding affinity to the recombinant C-terminus LMP1 protein. The most interesting candidates are the FO5 "QPTKDSSPPLRV" and NO4 "STTSPPAVPHNN" peptides since both bind the C-terminus LMP1 as showed by molecular docking. Furthermore, sequence alignment revealed that the FO5 peptide shared sequence similarity with the Death Receptor 4 which belongs to the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing receptor which plays key role in anti-tumor immunity.

Long-term effect of chemotherapy-intensity-modulated radiation therapy (chemo-IMRT) on dentofacial development in head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma patients

Dentofacial developmental abnormalities have been reported in head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (HNRMS) patients treated with conventional radiotherapy technique and chemotherapy. This current study investigates dentofacial long-term effects among HNRMS survivors managed with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and chemotherapy. In general, IMRT is a more effective 3D-conformal radiotherapy technique, which delivers high doses of radiation to the tumor target while minimizing doses received by the surrounding normal tissues. The medical records and radiographs of thirteen patients were reviewed to identify the following: 1. Facial asymmetry and jaw hypoplasia. 2. Effects on the dental tissue causing tooth agenesis/hypodontia, root agenesis/stunting/malformation, and/or enamel hypoplasia. 3. Trismus, hyposalivation/xerostomia. Seven patients presented with facial asymmetry and jaw hypoplasia, 9 patients presented with effects on the dental tissue [root agenesis/stunting/malformation (9), tooth agenesis/hypodontia (7) and enamel hypoplasia (3)] and 7 patients developed trismus and /or xerostomia. All patients with facial asymmetry and jaw hypoplasia also developed dental abnormalities. Patients with dentofacial developmental abnormalities were ≤7 years of age at treatment. Our study shows that dentofacial developmental abnormalities are still a burden in the era of IMRT and as prognosis of childhood malignancy improves and more patients survive, these late dentofacial sequelae among childhood cancer survivors will become more common. Dental oncologists should be integral members in the management of children with head and neck cancers.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Childhood Period Nasopharynx Cancer

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a rarely seen tumor in childhood. It is mostly detected late as the clinical features are similar to other childhood tumors which affect the nasopharynx and adenoidal hypertrophy. Therefore, the radiological features of childhood tumors of the nasopharynx must be well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of MR imaging features of childhood nasopharynx cancer.

Material/Methods

The study included 10 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients under the age of 18 years who presented at hospital between February 2008 and March 2014 and who had tissue diagnosis and MRI of the nasopharynx region. The MRI scans were evaluated by two radiologists. Loco-regional spread, asymmetry, signal intensity of the tumors, and lymph nodes were evaluated.

Results

In all the patients there was a mass which narrowed the nasopharynx. In all cases, unilateral mastoid opacification was observed. In 9 cases (90%), parapharyngeal extension was found. In 8 cases (80%), the mass showed an extension into the nasal cavity or oropharynx. In 5 cases (50%), there was an involvement of the skull base. In 3 patients (30%), an extension to the masticator space and pterygopalatine fossa was found. There were enlarged cervical lymph nodes bilaterally in 10 cases (100%). In 4 cases (40%), a lateral retropharyngeal lymph node was detected.

Conclusions

Childhood nasopharyngeal cancers are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. MR imaging can be helpful in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of childhood nasopharynx cancer from other diseases of the nasopharynx.

Plasma Epstein-Barr Viral Deoxyribonucleic Acid Predicts Worse Outcomes in Pediatric Nonmetastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients: An Observational Study of 89 Cases in an Endemic Area

To evaluate the clinical significance of pretreatment levels of plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA (pEBV DNA) on prognoses in pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Eighty-nine patients aged 21 years old or younger with nonmetastatic NPC were evaluated to determine the effect of pEBV DNA levels on progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS). Survival probabilities in patient groups that were segregated by clinical stage or pEBV DNA load (low or high) were compared. The median pretreatment concentrations of pEBV DNA were 3440 copies/mL in 35 patients with stage III disease and 14,900 copies/mL in 50 patients with stage IV disease (P = 0.059). The median concentration of pEBV DNA was 34,500 copies/mL in 17 patients with relapse, which was higher than the concentration in 72 patients without relapse, who had a median level of 4985 copies/mL (P = 0.057). Further study showed that pretreatment pEBV DNA load was an independent prognostic indicator in pediatric NPC patients. High pEBV DNA was associated with adverse clinical outcomes, including PFS [3-year PFS rate = 80.5% versus 95.8%, hazard ratio (HR) = 5.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.00-25.00; P = 0.050], DMFS (3-year DMFS rate = 80.5% versus 95.8%, HR = 5.20, 95% CI = 1.04-26.00; P = 0.045), and OS (3-year OS rate = 82.9% versus 95.8%, HR = 5.41, 95% CI = 1.08-27.22; P = 0.040). Pretreatment pEBV DNA load was an independent prognostic indicator for PFS, DMFS, and OS in pediatric patients with NPC. Prospective studies, however, are needed to validate these results.

Quantitative measurement of iNOS expression in melanoma, nasopharyngeal, colorectal, and breast tumors of Tunisian patients: comparative study and clinical significance

Chronic inflammation increases the risk of development of human malignancies. iNOS is an enzyme dominantly expressed during inflammatory reactions and seems to play a critical role in tumorigenesis. Our aim was to assess the iNOS expression in four types of human tumors: breast, colorectal, nasopharyngeal, and melanoma, of Tunisian patients. The level of iNOS was measured by RT-QPCR in tumor specimens. We showed that the expression of iNOS was higher in breast compared to colorectal and nasopharyngeal tumors, whereas in melanoma, the level of iNOS expression was low. Significant associations were found when comparing the iNOS expression in cancers pairs such as melanoma versus colorectal (p < 0.0001), colorectal versus nasopharyngeal (p = 0.0072), and melanoma versus breast (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, iNOS expression correlated with the Breslow thickness, Clark level, and histological subtype in melanoma, while in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, significant association was seen with age at diagnosis, TNM, metastasis, response to treatment, and expression of COX-2. Furthermore, the expression of iNOS correlated with tumor size, TNM, tumor location, and histological type in colorectal cancer, and with tumor size, tumor stage, SBR grade, and triple negative cases in breast cancer. On the other hand, immunohistochemistry analysis shows that the expression of iNOS is observed in the stroma and tumor cells as well. Overall, our results highlight that iNOS is a reliable marker for advanced stage and aggressive behavior for the four types of cancer and might be a potential promising therapeutic target.

Locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma in childhood and adolescence: Analysis of 95 patients treated with combined chemotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the treatment outcomes and toxicities of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for children and adolescents with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS

Ninety-five patients of <25 years old in locoregionally advanced NPC (stage III-IVB) were analyzed. All were given neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by IMRT with or without concurrent chemotherapy/adjuvant chemotherapy.

RESULTS

The 4-year overall survival (OS), locoregional relapse-free survival, progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were 90.8%, 94.9%, 79.1%, and 84.0%, respectively. N classification was the only significant predicting factor for OS, PFS, and DMFS, with the p value of .017, .015, and 0.054, respectively. The main long-term complications were xerostomia, hearing impairment, and neck fibrosis.

CONCLUSION

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by IMRT with or without concurrent/adjuvant chemotherapy produced a superb treatment outcome in children and adolescents with stage III to IVB disease. Distant metastasis was the main failure. More effective treatment strategies are urgently needed to further improve the long-term survival. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E665-E672, 2016.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in children and adolescents - a single institution experience of 158 patients

Background

To evaluate the clinical features, treatment results, prognostic factors and late toxicities of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in children and adolescents.

Methods

Between January 1990 and January 2011, 158 NPC patients younger than 20 years old were treated in our institution, and the patient’s clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, outcomes and prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

There were 9 (5.7%) patients in stage II, 60 (38.0%) in stage III and 89 (56.3%) in stage IV according to the UICC2002 staging system. Neck mass (32.3%), headache (21.5%) and nasal obstruction (15.2%) were the most common chief complaints. With a median follow-up time of 62.5 months (range 2.0-225.0 months), the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate, local-regional control (LRC) rate and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rate were 82.6%, 94.9% and 76.4%, respectively. There were 43 (27.2%) patients failed during the follow up, with seven local-regional recurrences and 38 distant metastases. In univariate analysis, the 5-year OS of T4 and T1-3 were 75% and 87.9%, p = 0.01, stage IV and stage II-III were 77.1% and 90%, p = 0.04, respectively. In multivariate analysis, T4 (p = 0.02) and stage IV (p = 0.04) were the independent adverse prognostic factors for OS. Significant reduction in trismus (27.3% v 3.6%, p = 0.03) and G2 xerostomia (37.9% v 10.3%, p = 0.02) was observed in patients treated by IMRT.

Conclusions

Most childhood and adolescence nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were locally advanced diseases at first diagnosed. The treatment results of radiotherapy, with or without chemotherapy, are excellent in our institution. Reducing distant metastasis with new strategies and late toxicities with intensity-modulated radiotherapy are the future directions for the treatment of adolescent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Long-term Outcomes Following Radiotherapy for Adolescent Patients With Nonmetastatic WHO Type III Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

To report long-term results of primary radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) presenting in the adolescent group.

METHODS

Ten adolescent patients with World Health Organization (WHO) type III NPC were treated with primary radiotherapy at our institution between 1969 and 2007. Median age was 16.5 years (range, 11 to 21). Median radiotherapy dose to the primary target volume was 67.5 Gy (range, 60 to 74.8). The bilateral neck received 51.1 Gy (range, 50 to 60 Gy). Five patients were treated with once-daily radiotherapy and 5 received twice-daily radiotherapy. Three patients received neoadjuvant cisplatin and 5FU, and 1 patient received adjuvant maintenance cisplatin and 5FU.

RESULTS

Median follow-up time was 9.5 years (range, 1.94 to 34.74). Fifteen-year overall survival, cause-specific survival, and progression-free survival rates were all 70%. Fifteen-year local and regional control rates were 100% and 90%. One patient recurred regionally and distantly simultaneously, and 2 patients developed distant metastases alone. All 3 died of their disease within 3 years. One patient died from multiple radiation-induced secondary meningiomas 34 years after radiotherapy. Five patients developed hypothyroidism, 3 developed sensorineural hearing loss, and 4 developed dental complications. The overall rates of CTCAE grade 3, 4, and 5 toxicity were 40%, 10%, and 10%, respectively. Despite high-radiation doses to the skull base, none of the patients in this study developed grade 3+ cognitive or vision toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Radiotherapy achieves excellent local control in adolescent patients with unresectable WHO type III NPC. Our data support current protocols to systematically tailor treatment volumes and deescalate radiation doses to reduce treatment toxicity.

Retrospective analysis of results of treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Macao

BACKGROUND

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignancy in Southeast Asia, however, a full consensus has not yet been reached as to the value of comprehensive treatment for NPC. This study was designed to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of NPC and their prognostic value, as well as the long-term efficacy of NPC treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 248 patients, with different stages of NPC, were included in this study.

RESULTS

The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates for patients in stages I, II, III and IV were 90.48%, 76.71%, 76.89% and 33.87%, respectively (P=0.000), while the respective 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 85.15%, 72.36%, 63.88% and 26.26% (P=0.000). The respective 5-year OS rates, according to stage, for the group that received radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy and for the group that received radiotherapy only were as follows: stages I and II, 81.67% and 79.59% (P=0.753); stage III, 79.91% and 70.38% (P=0.143); stage IV, 35.22% and 0% (P=0.000). The respective 5-year PFS rates in these groups were as follows: stages I and II, 75.83% and 74.98% (P=0.814); stage III, 74.08% and 42.25% (P=0.027); stage IV, 27.31% and 0% (P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical staging appears to be the most important prognostic factor for NPC. As the stage number increases, both the 5-year OS and PFS significantly decrease. Adding chemotherapy to radiotherapy was not advantageous for patients with stage I or II NPC, however the addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy significantly improved OS and PFS in patients with stage IV NPC. The addition of chemotherapy improved PFS, but not OS in patients with stage III NPC.

Oral and dental late effects in survivors of childhood cancer: a Children's Oncology Group report

PURPOSE

Multi-modality therapy has resulted in improved survival for childhood malignancies. The Children's Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancers provide practitioners with exposure- and risk-based recommendations for the surveillance and management of asymptomatic survivors who are at least 2 years from completion of therapy. This review outlines the pathophysiology and risks for oral and dental late effects in pediatric cancer survivors and the rationale for oral and dental screening recommended by the Children's Oncology Group.

METHODS

An English literature search for oral and dental complications of childhood cancer treatment was undertaken via MEDLINE and encompassed January 1975 to January 2013. Proposed guideline content based on the literature review was approved by a multi-disciplinary panel of survivorship experts and scored according to a modified version of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network "Categories of Consensus" system.

RESULTS

The Children's Oncology Group oral-dental panel selected 85 relevant citations. Childhood cancer therapy may impact tooth development, salivary function, craniofacial development, and temporomandibular joint function placing some childhood cancer survivors at an increased risk for poor oral and dental health. Additionally, head and neck radiation and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation increase the risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms in the oral cavity. Survivors require routine dental care to evaluate for potential side effects and initiate early treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Certain childhood cancer survivors are at an increased risk for poor oral and dental health. Early identification of oral and dental morbidity and early interventions can optimize health and quality of life.

[Is there any difference in therapeutic results of nasopharyngeal carcinoma between adults and children?]

PURPOSE

To compare therapeutic results of nasopharyngeal carcinoma between adults and children.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Three hundred and seventy seven patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma received a radiotherapy between 1993 and 2007. Sixty-nine of them were 20years old or less. Two hundred and sixty eight patients received a chemotherapy (neoadjuvant or concomitant).

RESULTS

Overall survival and disease-free survival at 5 years were 67 % and 59.4 % in all patients, respectively. Overall survival rates at 5 years in children and adults were 66 % and 64 %, respectively (P=0.17), disease-free survival rates at 5 years were 66 % and 57 %, respectively (P=0.17). Local failures occurred more frequently in adults than in children (1.4 % versus 14 %). However, metastatic events were frequently seen in children. Late toxicities were important in children, xerostomia was the most common one.

CONCLUSION

Despite locally advanced disease in children, therapeutic results were better than in adults but not statistically significant. The use of treatment combination (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) in juvenile nasopharyngeal carcinoma may explain our findings.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in children and adolescents in an endemic area: a report of 185 cases

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to demonstrate the clinical and therapeutic features of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in children and adolescents in Southern China, an endemic area.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 185 newly diagnosed NPC patients younger than 21 years old in the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from 1993 to 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival (OS) rate estimates and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were calculated. Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) were used to identify independent prognostic factors for survival. Chi-square test was used to compare the incidence of sequelae and the stage distribution between different subgroups.

RESULTS

Most patients were male (71.4%). The main presenting symptoms were neck mass (44.9%), tinnitus/hearing loss (36.2%), bloody nasal discharge (22.7%), headache (22.2%), and nasal obstruction (20.0%). Stage I, II, III, and IV patients accounted for 1.1%, 8.1%, 43.8%, and 47.0%, respectively, of the total number of patients included in the study. All patients were treated by radiotherapy: 39 Gy-84 Gy to primary tumors (median, 68 Gy) and 36 Gy-74 Gy to cervical lymph nodes (median, 60 Gy); 84.3% of the patients were treated by chemotherapy either. The complete response rate was 94.1%. The 5-, 10-, and 15-year survival rates were 78% ± 4%, 70% ± 5%, and 66% ± 6%, respectively. Tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage was the statistically significant predictor of distal metastasis and OS. Distal metastasis was the major pattern of treatment failure. The main long-term complications of therapy were xerostomia (47.0%), hearing loss (28.1%), neck fibrosis (24.3%), trismus (12.4%), glossolalia (7.0%), and radiation encephalopathy (5.4%). The incidences of these morbidities were significantly higher in the high radiation dose (more than the median) group than in the low radiation dose group (less than or equal to the median), while no differences in survival were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

In spite of the majority of patients diagnosed at the advanced stage, children and adolescents with NPC had excellent survival except metastatic disease. The TNM stage was the most relevant prognostic factor. A higher radiation dose (>68 Gy) could not improve survival but could increase long-term morbidities.

Prognostic factors and long-term outcomes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in children and adolescents

BACKGROUND

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare malignancy in children and adolescents, and the optimal treatment modality in youths has not been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term treatment outcomes and complications associated with childhood and adolescent NPC.

PROCEDURE

From January 1985 to December 2004, the records of 95 patients with NPC and younger than 20 years of age were reviewed. All of the records were confirmed based on pathology via biopsy. The radiation doses to the primary tumors ranged from 64 to 80 Gy. The radiation doses to the metastatic cervical lymph nodes ranged from 60 to 74 Gy. The fractionated doses ranged from 1.8 to 2.0 Gy at 5 fractions/week. A total of 36 patients received chemotherapy before radiotherapy.

RESULTS

The 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-, and 15-year overall survival (OS) rates were 92.6%, 63.2%, 54.7%, 46.8%, and 42.6%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-, and 15-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 73.7%, 51.3%, 49.1%, 44.6%, and 42.6%, respectively. The clinical stage had a significant impact on OS (P = 0.007) and DFS (P = 0.012). Complete responders to therapy had superior OS (P < 0.001) and DFS (P < 0.001). Patients >12 years of age had better OS (P = 0.026) and DFS (P = 0.037).

CONCLUSIONS

Children and adolescents with advanced NPC had a relatively good rate of long-term survival. However, 28% of the survivors had serious long-term treatment-related morbidities. In addition to clinical stage and complete response or partial response, age was an independent prognostic factor in pediatric and adolescent NPC.

Quantitative expression analysis and prognostic significance of the BCL2-associated X gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly metastatic epithelial malignancy showing high prevalence in Southeast Asia and North Africa. The BCL2-associated X (BAX) gene encodes the most important pro-apoptotic member of the BCL2 family. We have recently shown that BCL2 and BCL2L12, two other members of the same apoptosis-related family, possess significant prognostic value in NPC. The objective of the current study was to analyze BAX mRNA expression in nasopharyngeal biopsies of NPC patients, and to assess its prognostic potential in this disease.

Methods

Total RNA was isolated from 88 malignant and 9 hyperplastic nasopharyngeal biopsies, resected from Tunisian patients. After cDNA synthesis by reverse transcription of polyadenylated RNA, BAX mRNA expression was analyzed using a highly sensitive quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method.

Results

Lower BAX mRNA levels were detected in NPC biopsies than in hyperplastic nasopharyngeal samples. BAX mRNA expression status was associated with low tumor extent, negative regional lymph node status, and absence of distant metastases. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that patients with BAX mRNA-positive NPC have significantly longer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). In accordance with these findings, Cox regression analysis revealed that BAX mRNA expression can be considered as a favorable prognostic indicator of DFS and OS in NPC, independent of their gender, age, tumor histology, tumor extent, and nodal status. Furthermore, NPC patients without distant metastases are less likely to relapse when their primary tumor is BAX mRNA-positive, compared to metastasis-free patients with a BAX-negative nasopharyngeal malignancy.

Conclusion

This is the first study examining the potential clinical utility of BAX as a prognostic tumor biomarker in NPC. We provide evidence that BAX mRNA expression can be considered as an independent favorable prognostic indicator of DFS and OS in NPC.

Fight against cancer around the Mediterranean area: "Many hands make light work!"

The geopolitical and strategic importance of the Mediterranean area is evident since a long time. In terms of health programs and means for cancer care, significant disparities have been reported between countries that borders the Mediterranean basin. AROME project began modestly in 2006 with a group of leaders who recognized the need to promote practical training of young people and, thus, contribute to reduce these inacceptable inequalities in terms of early diagnosis and management. Moreover, our project has been built from our belief that the socio-cultural specificity of this region, its epidemiology, availability of means for diagnosis and treatment, should impose a sustained regional research and better knowledge of tumor biology and identify the specificities that may require particular strategies of care that should not be based only on Western and Asian research data. We must thus take advantage of advances in the identification of intimate biological tumors to provide answers to our ignorance of the specific Mediterranean biology. In this paper, we illustrate this issue describing some particular cancers in this region such as breast and nasopharyngeal cancers.

BCL2L12 is a novel biomarker for the prediction of short-term relapse in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BCL2-like 12 (BCL2L12 ) is a new member of the apoptosis-related BCL2 gene family, members of which are implicated in various malignancies. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a highly metastatic, malignant epithelial tumor, with a high prevalence in Southeast Asia and North Africa. The purpose of the current study was to quantify and investigate the expression levels of the BCL2L12 gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma biopsies and to assess its prognostic value. Total RNA was isolated from 89 malignant and hyperplastic nasopharyngeal biopsies from Tunisian patients. After testing the quality of the extracted RNA, cDNA was prepared by reverse transcription. A highly sensitive real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for BCL2L12 mRNA quantification was developed using SYBR Green chemistry. GAPDH served as a reference gene. Relative quantification analysis was performed using the comparative C(T) (2(-ΔΔCT)) method. Higher BCL2L12 mRNA levels were detected in undifferentiated carcinomas of the nasopharynx, rather than in nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal tumors (P = 0.045). BCL2L12 expression status was also found to be positively associated with the presence of distant metastases (P = 0.014). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that patients with BCL2L12-positive nasopharyngeal tumors have significantly shorter disease-free survival (P = 0.020). Cox regression analysis showed BCL2L12 expression to be an unfavorable and independent prognostic indicator of short-term relapse in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (P = 0.042). Our results suggest that mRNA expression of BCL2L12 may constitute a novel biomarker for the prediction of short-term relapse in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Epigenetic alteration of the Wnt inhibitory factor-1 promoter is common and occurs in advanced stage of Tunisian nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Activation of the wingless-type (Wnt) signaling pathway is common in cancers. The Wnt inhibitory factor-1 (WIF-1) is a secreted antagonist that acts by binding to Wnt ligands. We examined by methylation-specific PCR (MSP), whether WIF-1 is inactivated in 68 nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC), and 10 normal mucosa. We showed that the WIF-1 promoter was methylated in 89.7% of tumors, whereas all normal mucosa were unmethylated. The WIF-1 methylation was associated with the tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) (p = .003) and the age (p = .014). The Wnt-5a mRNA was higher in tumors and correlated with TNM (p = .012). The methylation of WIF-1 contributes to the activation of the Wnt pathway in NPC.

Prognostic factors and long-term outcomes of childhood nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The authors studied the survival and long-term morbidities of children with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of children with NPC who were treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital between 1961 and 2004. Prognostic factors and long term effects of therapy were analyzed.

RESULTS

Fifty-nine patients (median age, 14.1 years) were identified. Most were male (66.1%) and black (54.2%) and had lymphoepithelioma (93.2%). Thirty-five patients had stage IV disease (59.3%), 20 patients had stage III disease (33.9%), and 4 patients had stage II disease (6.8%). All patients received radiotherapy (RT) to the primary tumor, and most received cervical RT (98.3%) and chemotherapy (88.1%). The 15-year survival and event-free survival (EFS) rates were 67.2% ± 7.5% and 63.5% ± 7.8%, respectively. Five patients (8.5%) developed subsequent malignancies 8.6 to 27 years after NPC diagnosis. EFS was improved in patients who were diagnosed after 1980 (74.8% ± 10% vs 45.5% ± 10.1%; P = .031), in patients who had stage III disease compared with patients who had stage IV disease (79.3% ± 9.6% vs 56.2% ± 11.8%; P = .049), in patients who received cisplatin (81% ± 10.7% vs 45.8% ± 9.7%; P = .013), and in patients who received ≥ 50 grays of RT (71.4% ± 9.3% vs 43.8% ± 11.6%; P = .048). White patients had higher distant failure rates than black patients (41.7% ± 10.4% vs 15.6 ± 6.5%; P = .045). The 15-year cumulative incidence (CI) of any morbidity was 83.7% ± 5.4%, the CI of sensorineural hearing loss was 52.9% ± 6.7%, the CI of primary hypothyroidism was 42.7% ± 6.6%, and the CI of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) was 14.1% ± 4.7%. Dose-response relations were observed between the RT dose and primary hypothyroidism and GHD.

CONCLUSIONS

The outcome of children with NPC improved over the past 4 decades with the use of cisplatin-based chemotherapy and higher RT doses. However, many survivors had long-term treatment-related morbidities.

Quantitative analysis of BCL2 mRNA expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: an unfavorable and independent prognostic factor

Programmed cell death plays a vital role in a wide variety of physiological processes. Defects in apoptotic cell death contribute to neoplastic diseases by preventing or delaying normal cell death. BCL2 (Bcl-2) is an anti-apoptotic gene with marked up-regulation in various malignancies, such as breast cancer, in which expression of the BCL2 protein has been proposed as a prognostic tumor biomarker. The purpose of the current study was to investigate mRNA expression of the BCL2 gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) biopsies and assess its prognostic value. For this purpose, total RNA was isolated from 89 malignant and hyperplastic nasopharyngeal biopsies from Tunisian patients. After testing the quality of the extracted RNA, cDNA was prepared by reverse transcription. A highly sensitive real-time PCR methodology for BCL2 mRNA quantification was developed using SYBR® Green chemistry. GAPDH served as an endogenous control gene. Relative quantification analysis was performed using the comparative C (T) (2(-∆∆CT)) method. High BCL2 mRNA levels were detected in advanced-stage nasopharyngeal tumors (p = 0.030). Furthermore, BCL2 mRNA expression was strongly associated with lymph node involvement (p = 0.009) and presence of distal metastases (p = 0.013). Survival analysis demonstrated that patients with BCL2-positive nasopharyngeal tumors have significantly shorter disease-free and overall survival (p = 0.011 and p = 0.028, respectively). The major contribution of the current study is the quantification and evaluation, for the first time, of the prognostic significance of the BCL2 mRNA expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Our results suggest that mRNA expression levels of BCL2 may represent a novel unfavorable and independent tumor biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

[Juvenile nasopharyngeal carcinoma: anatomoclinic, biologic, therapeutic and evolutive aspects]

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) represents one of the most frequent epithelial tumours of the child in intermediate risk regions. In the Maghreb, it represents the first cancer of teenagers of 15-20 years old. The Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is the most important etiologic factor. Its role in the pathogeneses of NPC has been confirmed by several studies. Young NPCs are characterized by a low rate of EBV antibodies and a high level of LMP1 cell expression than in adult's NPC. The undifferentiated carcinoma nasopharyngeal type (UCNT) represents the most frequent histological type. Immunohistochemical analyses of North Africa early onset NPC is characterized by a weak expression of bcl-2 and p53 and a strong expression of LMP1 and c-kit what makes them different from the adult's NPC. Clinically, cervical node involvement is constantly present. Juvenile NPC is characterized by a very important locoregional extension as well as a high rate of distant metastases. More than 15% of patients had metastases at diagnosis. Radiotherapy is still the standard therapy of NPC. Only some retrospectives studies have been published to determine the benefit, the type and the timing of the chemotherapy in the treatment of juvenile NPC. Metastatic relapses constitute the main cause of death at these young patients. An improvement of the prognosis can be waited with concomitant chemotherapy and intensity modulated radiotherapy. However, randomized multi institutional studies are necessary to standardize the treatment of the NPC in childhood.

PIK3CA amplification is predictive of poor prognosis in Tunisian patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PI3Ks (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases) are lipid kinases that regulate signalling pathways involved in cell proliferation, motility, and adhesion. Somatic mutations and amplification of the PIK3CA gene have been reported in various types of human cancers. However, little is known about the frequency and prognosis role of PIK3CA activation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study was conducted with the aim to screen for PIK3CA mutations in the two hot spot regions (exons 9 and 20) and to investigate for the PIK3CA gene amplification combined with the expression analysis of the phosphorylated Akt (pAkt). We showed that among 88 specimens, none had mutation in the helical domain (exon 9) and only one (1.13%) had mutation in the kinase domain (exon 20). On the other hand, PIK3CA gene amplification was found in 21.6% of cases and was strongly associated with distant metastasis (P = 0.002), lymph node involvement (P = 0.032), and advanced tumor stage (P < 0.001). Moreover, patients with PIK3CA copy number gain have a significant reduced overall survival time (P log rank = 0.02). We concluded that PIK3CA gene amplification is frequent in NPC and occurs in the advanced stage of NPC. Moreover, our finding emphasizes the association of PIK3CA gene amplification with worse prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in adolescents: a retrospective review of 42 patients

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics and outcome of adolescent patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) disease. The study concerned 46 pediatric NPC patients treated during the period 1999-2002 at the National Institute of Oncology, Rabat. The median age of the patients was 16 years. The male/female ratio was 2.8/1. Histologically, all patients had undifferentiated carcinoma. A total of 93% presented nodal metastasis. Four (9%) had distant metastasis. All patients received neoadjuvant multiagent chemotherapy containing cisplatin, followed by radiotherapy. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to evaluate prognostic factors. The log-rank test was used to evaluate the differences between the groups. While none of the patients had locoregional failure, nine patients (29%) developed distant metastasis. The disease-free survival and overall survival (OS) rate for the entire group were 73 and 41%, respectively. Responders to chemotherapy had superior OS (P < 0.001). We suggest that combined modality management using multi-agent chemotherapy and RT as an effective treatment of NPC disease which will achieve satisfactory locoregional control and OS of NPC pediatric patients. Response to chemotherapy was an important prognostic factor.

Whole-tumor-antigen-pulsed dendritic cells elicit cytotoxic T-cell response against pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma in vitro

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic in Southeast Asia. Although dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccine has emerged as a promising immunotherapy for various malignancies, its use in pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma (PNPC) has not been addressed. In this study, DCs isolated from peripheral blood monocytes of three pediatric patients with advanced (stage IV) NPC were incubated with whole-tumor-antigen preparations and differentiated into immature DCs in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-4, and then underwent maturation when exposed to tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Upon maturation, DCs acquired the ability to stimulate T-cell proliferation as examined by [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation and the ability of these T-cells to secrete interferon-gamma as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay. Cytotoxic assay revealed that mature tumor-antigen-pulsed DCs induced cytotoxic activity of the T-cells against both autologous and allogeneic NPC tumor cells (including NPC tumor cells from a different individual or from CNE-2Z, a poorly differentiated human NPC cell line). Blocking HLA class I molecules by W6/32 inhibited T-cell-mediated cytotoxic activity in both autologous and allogeneic settings. Our results indicate that DCs pulsed with whole-tumor-antigen can effectively activate HLA class I-restricted cytotoxic T-cells in vitro, and thus provide experimental basis for their future clinical use in PNPC.

Overexpression of COX-2 and LMP1 are correlated with lymph node in Tunisian NPC patients

Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) an inducible form of COX is frequently up-regulated in many human tumours. The expression of COX-2 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its relationship to clinicopathological features were studied in Tunisian patients. COX-2 mRNA was detected in 91% of tumour tissues. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that COX-2 protein was strongly detected in tumour cells and the staining was mainly cytoplasmic. In contrast, COX-2 mRNA and protein were very low or undetectable in normal nasopharyngeal mucosa. Our result showed a significant association of COX-2 overexpression with the lymph node involvement, however, no correlation was observed with age, tumour stage, histological type and distant metastasis. Moreover, we showed that all tumour specimens co-overexpressed COX-2 and the EBV oncoprotein LMP1 corroborating the fact that LPM1 is known to induce COX-2. Altogether, our data suggests that the COX-2 is overexpressed in NPC biopsies and that is linked to the lymph node involvement.

Epstein-Barr virus-targeted immunotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is constantly present in undifferentiated and poorly-differentiated nasopharyngeal cancer. Thus, tumour-associated viral antigens are potential targets for immunotherapy. Recently, both preclinical and early clinical studies have shown that various strategies can enhance EBV-specific immunity. Moreover, significant anti-tumour effect has been observed, and was generally correlated with biological response. The present review discusses the rational for EBV-targeted immunotherapy and summarises the latest developments in this area.

Expression de c-kit dans les carcinomes nasopharyngés nord africains, corrélations avec l'âge et LMP1

PURPOSE

To determine the level and prognostic significance of c-kit expression in the two age groups of North African nasopharyngeal carcinomas.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective study of 99 NPC specimens from Tunisian patients was investigated by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical data were correlated with Epstein-Barr virus LMP1 expression and pathological, clinical and survival parameters.

RESULTS

c-kit was detected in 79% of the cases for patients under 30 years of age (juvenile form) but in only 56% of specimens in patients over 30 years (P=0.039) and was significantly over-expressed for patients with lymph node involvement (P=0.015). LMP1 score was 5.78 (+/-1.84) for c-kit negative tumors compared to 8,23 (+/-2.39) for c-kit positive tumors (P=0.002). Multivariate analysis including age, lymph nodes involvement and LMP1 expression as co-variables, showed that only age (P=0.027) and LMP1 expression (P=0.005) were significantly correlated to the c-kit expression.

CONCLUSION

c-kit is highly expressed in the juvenile form of North African nasopharyngeal carcinomas. There is a significant association between LMP1 and c-kit expression. The contrasted levels of C-kit expression in the two age groups strengthen the hypothesis that these clinical forms result from distinct oncogenic mechanisms.

A single institution experience with pediatric nasopharyngeal carcinoma: high incidence of toxicity associated with platinum-based chemotherapy plus IMRT

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) have decreased treatment-related complications in adult patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Our aim was to evaluate the toxicity profile of IMRT plus chemotherapy in pediatric NPC patients.

OBSERVATIONS

Five patients were treated with chemotherapy and IMRT. All patients experienced grade 3-4 acute toxicities. With a median follow-up of 6.3 years, all patients experienced >or=3 long-term toxicities. The most common toxicities were hypothyroidism, xerostomia, hearing loss, and dental disease.

CONCLUSIONS

We did not observe a significant decrease in long-term toxicities with IMRT plus chemotherapy in our small cohort of pediatric NPC patients.

Incidence of hypothyroidism after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

The thyroid gland is frequently affected by radiotherapy applied for the treatment of head and neck tumors. Hypothyroidism is observed as a late side effect of radiotherapy, especially seen in the patients who have surgery in the treatment procedure.

METHODS

We evaluated the radiation-induced hypothyroidism for a selected type of head and neck cancer- nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC)-which does not include surgery involving the thyroid gland in the treatment.

RESULTS

We observed 12 patients (14%) who developed hypothyroidism, two of which were subclinical hypothyroidism. The patients with hypothyroidism were statistically significantly younger than the euthyroid patients, but there were no statistically significant differences among the two groups in disease stages, radiotherapy neck doses, and gender.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend life-long TSH screening after RT to the neck owing to the incidence of RTinduced hypothyroidism and the importance of early thyroid hormone replacement therapy in patients becoming hypothyroid for maintaining optimal quality of life.

Associations between HLA class I alleles and the prevalence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) among Tunisians

The high prevalence of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) in Southern Asia and Mediterranean Northern Africa suggests genetic predisposition among other factors. While Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) haplotypes have been conclusively associated with NPC predisposition in Asians, Northern African Maghrebians have been less intensely studied. However, low resolution serological methods identified weak positive associations with HLA-B5, B13 and B18 and a negative with HLA-B14. Using sequence based typing (SBT), we performed a direct comparison of HLA class I frequencies in a cohort of 136 Tunisian patients with NPC matched for gender, age and geographical residence to 148 normal Tunisians. The bimodal age distribution of NPC in Maghrebians was also taken into account. HLA frequencies in normal Tunisians were also compared with those of Northern Moroccan Berbers (ME) to evaluate whether the Tunisian population in this study could be considered representative of other Maghrebian populations. HLA-B14 and -Cw08 were negatively associated with NPC (odd ratio = 0.09 and 0.18 respectively, Fisher p₂-value = 0.0001 and = 0.003). Moreover, positive associations were observed for HLA-B-18, -B51 (split of -B5) and -B57 (p₂-value < 0.025 in all) confirming previous findings in Maghrebs. The HLA-B14/Cw*08 haplotype frequency (HF) was 0.007 in NPC patients compared to 0.057 in both Tunisian (OR = 0.12; p₂-value = 0.001) and Moroccan controls. This study confirms several previous associations noted by serologic typing between HLA class I alleles and the prevalence of NPC in Maghrebians populations. In addition, we identified a putative haplotype rare in Tunisian patients with NPC that may serve as a genetic marker for further susceptibility studies.