Primary surgical treatment is associated with improved survival for patients with stage IV disease and specifically T4 primary tumors. These data suggest that the observed national decrease in survival from laryngeal cancer may be due to a shift toward nonoperative treatment in that subset of patients with advanced primary disease.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy is associated with rare reports of thromboembolic events and severe hyponatremia. We hypothesized that IVIG therapy may result in hyperproteinemia, increased serum viscosity, and pseudohyponatremia. We conducted a prospective observational study to evaluate the incidence of hyperproteinemia occurring after IVIG therapy and its relationship to serum sodium, viscosity, osmolality, and the serum osmolar gap. Eighteen IVIG infusions at a standard dose of 2 g/kg administered over 2-5 days were evaluated. Serum glucose, sodium, protein, viscosity, osmolality, and a calculated osmolar gap were obtained prior to therapy, 6 hr after the initiation of therapy, 24 hr after the conclusion of therapy, and on post-treatment day 10. Paired t-testing revealed a statistically significant increase in serum protein and viscosity and decrease in serum sodium and calculated osmolality 24 hr after the completion of IVIG therapy. The calculated serum osmolar gap increased insignificantly. In multivariate analysis, hyperproteinemia at the 6-hr time point predicted hyponatremia (P < 0.000), and hyperproteinemia at the 24-hr time point predicted both hyponatremia and increased serum viscosity (P = 0.024). These data demonstrate that increased serum viscosity occurs following IVIG therapy due to hyperproteinemia, and the rare hyponatremia reported is a pseudohyponatremia also due to hyperproteinemia. Am. J. Hematol. 73:97-100, 2003.

There is a high incidence of occult metastases in clinically node-negative patients which adversely affects survival, regardless of the use of adjuvant XRT. Postoperative XRT did not significantly affect regional control or survival rates in patients with <3 positive nodes. When ECS was present, survival was poor regardless of the number of nodes. These data emphasize the prognostic and therapeutic role of END and highlight the need for the development of novel therapeutic regimens to improve disease control and survival in HNSCC patients with nodal metastases.

Thrombocytopenia (defined as a platelet count <150×10(9)) is a well-known complication in patients with liver cirrhosis and has been observed in 76% to 85% of patients. Significant thrombocytopenia (platelet count <50×10(9) to 75×10(9)) occurs in approximately 13% of patients with cirrhosis. Thrombocytopenia can negatively impact the care of patients with severe liver disease by potentially interfering with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Multiple factors can contribute to the development of thrombocytopenia including splenic platelet sequestration, immunological processes, bone marrow suppression by chronic viral infection, and reduced levels or activity of the hematopoietic growth factor thrombopoietin. The present review focuses on the etiologies and management options for severe thrombocytopenia in the setting of advanced liver disease.

A significant number of patients with recurrent HNSCC have distant metastases at the time of recurrence. These data suggest that PET-CT improves detection of metastatic disease in the high-risk patient and should be performed as part of the routine evaluation of patients with suspected recurrence prior to salvage surgery.