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Background:The aim was to collate and contrast patient concerns from a range of different head and neck cancer follow-up clinics around the world.Also, we sought to explore the relationship, if any, between responses to the patient concerns inventory (PCI) and overall quality of life (QOL). Methods: Nineteen units participated with intention of including 100 patients per site as close to a consecutive series as possible in order to minimize selection bias.Results: There were 2136 patients with a median total number of PCI items selected of 5 (2-10). "Fear of the cancer returning" (39%) and "dry mouth" (37%) were most common. Twenty-five percent (524) reported less than good QOL.Conclusion: There was considerable variation between units in the number of items selected and in overall QOL, even after allowing for case-mix variables.There was a strong progressive association between the number of PCI items and QOL. K E Y W O R D Shead and neck cancer, patient concerns inventory, patient prompt list, quality of life

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression and localization of connexin (Cx) 26, -43 and -45 in a group of 35 patients with primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with the objective of making a more accurate disease prognosis. We analysed the expression of connexins in tissue samples of primary OSCC, matching oral mucosa free of dysplasia, and its associated lymph node metastases (LNM) by semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry of membrane, cytoplasmic and nuclear connexin expression. The levels of expression were correlated with the overall survival time (OS). Cx43 was overexpressed in tumour cells compared to epithelia in dysplasia-free mucosa. High membrane expression of Cx43 on tumour cells was the only statistically significant and independent prognostic factor of short OS (P=0.0088). Membrane expression of Cx43 in matching dysplasia-free mucosa acted similarly, but did not reach statistical significance (P=0.059). No correlation was found between the Cx26, Cx45 expression and OS. We conclude that Cx43 expression in dysplasia-free mucosa may indicate a very early stage of tumour promotion. Although overexpression of Cx43 is found in invasive tumours we only found membrane Cx43 expression to correlate with OS. This observation suggests that cytoplasmic Cx43 serves as storage and only membrane translocation may promote the formation of gap junctions and gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) with prognostic relevance.

Piezosurgery caused reduced somatosensory impairment and a faster recovery of somatosensory functions in the present investigation.

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