AimThe effectiveness of Japanese traditional (Kampo) medicine is gradually attracting attention worldwide. It is typically known to be effective against cancer as a supportive therapy, but the antitumor effect of Kampo formulas is not fully established. We therefore evaluated the antitumor effect of eppikajutsuto.MethodsWe evaluated the antitumor effect of eppikajutsuto by cell viability assay, western blotting, and apoptotic cell assay using an oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line OSC‐19.ResultsWe found that the administration of eppikajutsuto to OSC‐19 in vitro inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and suppressed mTOR activation.ConclusionsThe results suggested that eppikajutsuto might exhibit antitumor effect against OSC‐19 in vitro by suppressing mTOR activation. However, additional studies in vitro and in vivo are required to confirm the antitumor effect of eppikajutsuto.

Rodent models mimic the heterogeneity of head and neck cancer (HNC) malignancies and are used to investigate HNC-associated biomarkers and evaluate drug responses. To assess the utility of patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) as an HNC model, 18 tumour samples were obtained from surgical specimens of patients with HNC and implanted into non-obese diabetic severe combined immunodeficient mice. The histological features of PDXs and corresponding patient samples were compared. Furthermore, the present study investigated how PDX responses to anticancer drugs mimic patient clinical responses, as well as the expression of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporters through chemotherapy in an HNC-PDX model. A total of five PDXs from patients with HNC exhibiting high correspondence with histopathological features of the original patient samples were established (establishment rate, 28%). The responses of three PDXs to cisplatin were associated with clinical responses of the patients. ABC transporter expression was augmented in one PDX model after anticancer drug treatment, but not in PBS-treated passaged PDXs. PDX models exhibited similar biological and chemosensitive characteristics to those of the primary tumours. PDXs could be a useful preclinical tool to test novel therapeutic agents and identify novel targets and biomarkers in HNC.

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Otorhinolaryngologists often encounter and treat adolescents and young adults (AYA; aged 15–39 years) with cancer. Thus, it is important for them to recognize the impact of cancer treatment on the fertility of patients from this generation. In this retrospective review, we evaluated 60 AYA patients who were diagnosed with head and neck cancer at our department. Regarding the risk of gonadal toxicity due to cancer treatment, according to the classification by The Japan Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guidelines 2017 for Fertility Preservation in Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Patients, one and three patients were found to be at high and intermediate risks, respectively. However, the risk of gonadal toxicity was not adequately explained in the guidelines; hence, they need to be revised. To preserve the fertility of AYA patients with head and neck cancer, patient information should be shared with appropriate obstetrics and gynecology or urology specialists before treatment. Furthermore, it is important to build a reproductive medicine network and ensure prompt collaboration with oncologists before initiating cancer treatment.