Among 387 cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) treated in our units between January 1977 and December 1990, 52 (13.4%) had primary extranodal (PE) NHL of the head and neck. The median age was 55 years with a M:F ratio of 1.9:1. The most frequent primary site was the tonsil (28 cases), followed by oral cavity, parotid gland, orbit and other sites. The aggressive histological subtypes predominate. 55.2% of the patients were in stage I and 44.8% in stage II of disease. The CR rate was high (94.2%). The 5 years’ overall survival rate was 65% and it was influenced mainly by stage (stage I 82.5% vs. 48.7% in stage II). Sex, age and histology did not significantly affect survival rate. Patients with primary Waldeyer’s ring involvement (WR group) did not differ significantly from the other primary sites analyzed as a group (non-WR group) in respect to median age, sex distribution, histology and CR rates. They differed, however, in: (1) stage distribution with stage II disease more frequent in the WR group; (2) overall survival and disease-free survival both of which were significantly better in the non-WR group; and (3) the high incidence of GI tract involvement as initial manifestation of relapse in the WR group. It is concluded that the behaviour of the Waldeyer’s ring PE-NHL is rather distinctive and should be considered separately from the other PE-NHL of the head and neck.

In an attempt to improve local control of locally advanced head and neck cancer, radiation therapy was combined with cisplatin. Forty-eight patients entered into this study. All patients were irradiated with a 60Co unit and according to the protocol they should receive 70 Gy in the tumor area and 45 Gy in the rest of neck. Cisplatin was administered at a dose of 100 mg/m2 on days 2, 22 and 42. Thirty-seven (80%) patients received the total radiation dose as initially planned. Thirty-four (72%) patients achieved complete and 5 (10%) partial response. Grade 3-4 toxicities included vomiting (14%), stomatitis (4%), diarrhea (2%), myelotoxicity (14%), hoarseness (4%), dysphagia (30%), weight loss (32%), nephrotoxicity (4%) and dermatitis (2%). After a median follow-up of 26 (range, 18-33) months, 16 patients have died. Among the 35 complete responders 6 later on relapsed. Median relapse-free survival has not yet been reached. Combined radiation therapy and cisplatin appears to be a highly active treatment in patients with advanced head and neck cancer as far as primary locoregional response is concerned.

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Surgical intervention is the gold standard of treatment for Zenker's diverticulum. The aim of this study was to examine the role of laser surgery in a large number of patients with this pathological entity. The data of 91 consecutive patients treated due to Zenker's diverticulum with the aid of CO2 laser in three institutions (Homburg/Saar and Marburg, Germany/Athens, Greece) during the last 10 years were retrospectively analyzed. Parameters examined were sex, age, preoperative symptoms, length of operation and complications, revision surgery necessity and degree of patient satisfaction. All patients had a minimum follow-up of one year. Dysphagia was the most common preoperative symptom (78 %). The most common minor complication was dental injury (6.6 %), but a serious complication in form of emphysema was observed in only two patients (2.2 %). A surgical revision was necessary in 8 (8.8 %) of the treated patients. The majority of treated patients was free of symptoms (86.8 %), or presented mild symptoms (9.9 %) one year after intervention, and only three patients (3.3 %) were dissatisfied. Our study shows that laser treatment of Zenker's diverticulum is an efficient operative technique associated with low complications rates and significant improvement of patients' symptoms in most of the examined cases.

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