Although identification of human papilloma virus (HPV) status in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is essential in predicting treatment response, no imaging modality can currently determine whether a tumor is HPV-related. In this retrospective study, 26 patients with OPSCC confined to the lateral wall or the base of tongue underwent neck magnetic resonance imaging, using T1-, T2- and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) in a region of interest covering the largest available primary tumor area of OPSCC on a single slice of the ADC map were calculated using two b values (0 and 1,000 s/mm(2)). Mean and minimum ADCs were compared with HPV status, using p16 immunohistochemistry as a surrogate marker for HPV infection. Mean and minimum ADCs for HPV(+) OPSCC were significantly lower than those for HPV(-) OPSCC. A cut-off value of mean ADC for HPV(+) OPSCC of 1.027 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s yielded sensitivity and specificity of 83.33 and 78.57%, respectively. In conclusion, the present study indicates that ADC could be used to predict HPV status in patients with OPSCC.

Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis; but has no established biomarkers on the order of human papilloma virus and p16 in oropharyngeal carcinoma. This study investigated pre-treatment serum markers, including the combination of platelet count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (COP-NLR) as a prognosis predictor in patients with HPSCC treated in our hospital. We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records of 118 consecutive patients treated with curative intent at our hospital between 2007 and 2013. Of these 118 patients, we enrolled 100 patients for whom we had sufficient data to analyze relationships between clinico-laboratory characteristics and survival, including the prognostic significance of pre-treatment serum markers and previous reported clinical factors. Multivariate analysis of clinico-laboratory characteristics associated COP-NLR with cancer-specific survival, as were lymph node metastases. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank tests showed that the COP-NLR could stratify those patients into three independent groups (P = 0.003). COP-NLR might be a useful predictor of survival in patients with HPSCC.

PD-L1 expression was associated with CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and better outcome in patients with LAOSCC.

Background Factors involved in neck lymph node metastasis (NLM) and prognosis of early tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) remain unknown. Methods We analyzed disease‐specific survival (DSS) and NLM including tumor budding grade (TBG) among 64 patients with cT1/2N0 tongue SCC. Results Univariate analysis of DSS of primary lesions uncovered significant differences in new cT, pT, new pT, pDiameter, venous infiltration, and TBG. Multivariate analysis selected only TBG3 as a predictor of NLM (odds ratio, 9.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80‐50.8; P = .008), and a prognostic factor for DSS (hazard ratio, 4.41; 95% CI, 1.34‐14.5; P = .02). Conclusion The sole predictor of NLM and the prognosis of early tongue SCC was TBG, indicating that it might help to select overwhelming risk patients.

Objective Two patients with primary small cell carcinoma (SmCC) of the hypopharynx, an extremely rare site for the occurrence of SmCC, are reported and nine additional well-documented cases are reviewed. Methods Case report and review of the literature concerning primary SmCC of the hypopharynx. Results On the final analysis, we reviewed eleven cases of primary SmCC of the hypopharynx. The tumors contained mixed elements of SmCC and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in six (55%) of eleven patients. Out of eleven patients, two patients had distant metastasis at the initial presentation. Even though nine patients presented with locoregional disease, development of distant metastasis after treatment was seen in five patients (56%), whereas there was no report of treatment failure on the primary site. To achieve more than two-year survival, patients should have received more than 4 cycles of chemotherapy. Conclusion We report two cases of primary SmCC of the hypopharynx with a review of the literature. In more than half of the cases, combined carcinomas with SCC are seen. Because this tumor has a strong propensity for distant metastasis even in patients with clinically localized tumor, new powerful systemic agents should be explored.