Background: The question of how to manage patients with low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC; T1aN0M0) has recently become an important clinical issue. Two Japanese centers have conducted prospective clinical trials of active surveillance (AS) for low-risk PTMC since the 1990s, reporting favorable outcomes. This policy has thus seen gradual adoption worldwide to avoid overtreatment. Not all PTMCs are suitable for AS, however, and many physicians still hesitate to apply the management policy in daily clinical practice. A task force on management for PTMC created by the Japan Association of Endocrine Surgery collected and analyzed bibliographic evidence and has produced the present consensus statements regarding indications and concrete strategies for AS to facilitate the management of adult patients diagnosed with low-risk PTMC. Summary: These statements provide indications for AS in adult patients with T1aN0M0 low-risk PTMC. PTMCs with clinical lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) paralysis due to carcinoma invasion, or protrusion into the tracheal lumen warrant immediate surgery. Tumors suspected of aggressive subtypes on cytology are recommended for immediate surgery. Immediate surgery is also recommended for tumors adherent to the trachea or located along the course of the RLN. Practical strategies include diagnosis, decision-making, follow-up, and monitoring related to the implementation of AS. The rate of low-risk PTMC progression is lower in older patients. However, we recommend continuing AS as long as circumstances permit. Future tasks in optimizing management for low-risk PTMC are also described, including molecular markers and patient-reported outcomes. Conclusions: An appropriate multidisciplinary team is necessary to accurately evaluate primary tumors and lymph nodes at the beginning of and during AS, and to adequately reach a shared-decision with individual patients. If appropriately applied, AS of low-risk PTMC is a safe management strategy offering favorable outcomes and preserves quality of life at low cost.

Background To evaluate factors associated with osteoradionecrosis of the jaw (ORNJ) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), focusing on jaw-related dose–volume histogram (DVH) parameters. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 616 patients with HNSCC treated with curative-intent or postoperative radiation therapy (RT) during 2008–2018. Patient-related (age, sex, history of smoking or alcohol use, diabetes mellitus, performance status, pre-RT dental evaluation, pre- or post-RT tooth extraction), tumor-related (primary tumor site, T-stage, nodal status), and treatment-related (pre-RT surgery, pre-RT mandible surgery, induction or concurrent chemotherapy, RT technique) variables and DVH parameters (relative volumes of the jaw exposed to doses of 10 Gy–70 Gy [V10–70]) were investigated and compared between patients with and without ORNJ. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare RT dose parameters. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to assess factors associated with ORNJ development. Kaplan–Meier analyses were performed for cumulative ORNJ incidence estimation. Results Forty-six patients (7.5%) developed ORNJ. The median follow-up duration was 40 (range 3–145) months. The median time to ORNJ development was 27 (range 2–127) months. DVH analysis revealed that V30–V70 values were significantly higher in patients with than in those without ORNJ. In univariate analyses, primary tumor site, pre-RT mandible surgery, post-RT tooth extraction, and V60 > 14% were identified as important factors. In multivariate analyses, V60 > 14% (p = 0.0065) and primary tumor site (p = 0.0059) remained significant. The 3-year cumulative ORNJ incidence rates were 2.5% and 8.6% in patients with V60 ≤ 14% and > 14%, respectively (p < 0.0001), and 9.3% and 1.4% in patients with oropharyngeal or oral cancer and other cancers, respectively (p < 0.0001). Conclusions V60 > 14% and oropharyngeal or oral cancer were found to be independent risk factors for ORNJ. These findings might be useful to minimize ORNJ incidence in HNSCC treated with curative RT.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the impact of superficial parotidectomy and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) for the surgical treatment of early stage squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in external auditory canal (EAC). Materials and Methods: Thirty-seven patients with T1 (n=14) or T2 (n=19) SCC in EAC treated between 2000 and 2016 at Kobe University Hospital were enrolled in this study. Thirty-three patients were operated with sleeve resection or lateral temporal bone resection. Results: The 5-year overall survival and disease-specific survival rates were 95% and 100%, respectively. Surgical margin was positive in 4 patients, who were treated by PORT and have been alive without disease. Prophylactic superficial parotidectomy was simultaneously performed at the time of initial surgery in 15 patients, in whom no lymph node (LN) metastasis was observed. Among the other 22 patients, regional recurrence in parotid LN was observed in one patient, who was successfully salvaged by total parotidectomy. Potential parotid lymph node metastasis rates of T1 and T2 SCC in EAC was 0% (0/14) and 5%(1/19) respectively. Conclusions: Complete resection without positive surgical margins is essential for the treatment of the patients with T1 and T2 ear cancers. Prophylactic superficial parotidectomy or neck dissection is not mandatory for T1 and T2 diseases, as long as precisely extent of disease is assessed preoperatively. PORT should be performed for the patients with positive surgical margins.

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We conclude that heavy drinkers with the ALDH2*2 allele are associated with poor outcome in hypopharyngeal SCC.