No abstract

Background:In-office biopsies (IOB) using local anaesthetic for laryngopharyngeal tumours has become an increasingly popular approach since the advent of distal chip endoscopes. Although a wide range of studies advocate use in clinical practice, the widespread application of the procedure is hampered by concerns regarding diagnostic accuracy.Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of IOB performed via flexible endoscopy.In addition, to analyse modifiable factors that may affect diagnostic accuracy of IOB.Design: A systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines was conducted.PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and CINAHL were used in the literature database search. Quality assessment of included studies was perfomed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.Results: A total of 875 studies were identified, 16 of which were included into the systematic review; 1572 successful biopsies were performed using flexible endoscopy; 1283 cases were accurately diagnosed in the outpatient setting (81.6%) and 289 samples did not provide an accurate diagnosis (18.4%). The median sensitivity of IOB was 73%, and the specificity was 96.7%. Analysis of variable factors did not show any significant differences in method of approach, size of equipment (forceps) and additional lighting system or learning curve. Conclusion:IOB are a viable tool for diagnostic workup of laryngopharyngeal tumours. Clinicians should be wary of reported limitations of IOB when benign or pre-malignant diagnoses are made. In cases suspicious of malignancy, confirmatory investigation should be conducted.

Objective This study aimed to assess the current literature on the safety and impact of in-office biopsy on cancer waiting times as well as review evidence regarding cost-efficacy and patient satisfaction. Method A search of Cinahl, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, Prospero, PubMed and Web of Science was conducted for papers relevant to this study. Included articles were quality assessed and critically appraised. Results Of 19 741 identified studies, 22 articles were included. Lower costs were consistently reported for in-office biopsy compared with operating room biopsy. Four complications requiring intervention were documented. In-office biopsy is highly tolerated, with a procedure abandonment rate of less than 1 per cent. When compared with operating room biopsy, it is associated with significantly reduced time-to-diagnosis and time-to-treatment initiation. It is linked to improved overall three-year survival. Conclusion In-office biopsy is a safe procedure that may help certain patients avoid general anaesthetic. It was shown to significantly reduce time-to-diagnosis and time-to-treatment initiation when compared with operating room biopsy. This may have important implications for oncological outcomes. In-office biopsy requires fewer resources and is likely to be cost-saving five-years following introduction. With high rates of sensitivity and specificity, in-office biopsy should be considered as the first-line procedure to achieve tissue diagnosis.

Objective The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has greatly disrupted head and neck cancer services in the West of Scotland. This study aimed to assess the impact of the first wave of the pandemic on cancer waiting times. Methods A retrospective review of multidisciplinary team records was undertaken between March and May in 2019 and the same months in 2020. Time-to-diagnosis and time-to-treatment for new cancers treated with curative intent were compared between the study periods, and subclassified by referral pathway. Results A total of 236 new cancer patients were included. During the pandemic, pathways benefitted from reduced diagnostic and treatment times resulting from the restructuring of service provisions. A 75 per cent reduction in secondary care referrals and a 33 per cent increase in urgent suspicion of cancer referrals were observed in 2020. Conclusion Head and neck cancer pathway times did not suffer because of the coronavirus pandemic. Innovations introduced to mitigate issues brought about by coronavirus benefitted patients, led to a more streamlined service, and improved diagnostic and treatment target compliance.