This study reviewed 208 cases of hypopharyngeal carcinoma that were treated at Kurume University Hospital between 1989 and 2005. Forty two patients were categorized as stage III and 166 patients were stage IV according to the TNM classification. The three-year overall survival rates determined by the Kaplan-Meier method were 62% in the NAC group and 58% in the non-NAC group. There was no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.7). The five-year local control rate was 89% for the patients who were treated with transoral carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser resection and postoperative chemoradiotherapy. CO₂ laser resection combined with postoperative chemoradiotherapy is a favorable treatment in suitable cases of hypopharyngeal cancer. Either a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) was obtained in the primary site in 53% of the patients, and in the metastatic lymph nodes, CR and PR in 38%. The overall survival rate in patients who showed a clinical CR or PR was better than in those who showed no change (NC ; p = 0.001). These results indicate that NAC might therefore be a useful treatment to predict the prognosis of hypopharyngeal carcinomas.

View full abstract

This study analyzed 51 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients among 81 patients suspected to have cervical metastasis from an unknown primary carcinoma between 1972 and 2004 at National Kyushu Cancer Center. The primary lesion was known before the first treatment in 12 cases (24), after first treatment in 9 cases (18%) and was not determined in 30 (58%) cases. Eight of the primary lesions were located in the hypopharynx, and 7 in the mesopharynx. The lesions located in the hypophrynx showed more metastasis to the lymph node, and the lymph nodes were larger following metastases from the nasophrynx. Localizing the site of the primary lesion before the first treatment was very important because it improved the prognosis in comparison to those where the site of the primary tumor was undetermined. The overall survival rate of the patients that underwent a neck dissection was 56% and in comparison to 25% in those that did not. Therefore, the control of neck metastasis by a neck dissection was thus considered to be very important.

View full abstract

This report describes two cases of bilateral carotid body tumors. The first patient was a 42-year-old male with bilateral cervical mass lesions. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images showed well-enhanced mass lesions on the bilateral bifurcations of the carotid arteries. Cerebral angiography revealed a vascular blush in the bilateral carotid bifurcations. The tumors were resected separately following transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). The tumors were successfully dissected from the surrounding vessels without an intraoperative shunt or replacement of the carotid artery. The pathological diagnosis was paraganglioma. The second patient was a 40-year-old male who presented with the chief complaints of hoarseness and dysphagia. CT, MR, and angiographic images showed bilateral CBP. The right carotid artery was encased by a large tumor ; however, the entire tumor was successfully removed. CBP typically presents an asymptomatic palpable cervical mass at the carotid bifurcation. In general, the optimal choice of treatment for these lesions is surgical resection. The early resection of such tumors is recommended to minimize the complications associated with the surgical intervention.

View full abstract

The clinical efficacy of olopatadine hydrochlorides was investigated in 58 patients suffering from Japanese cedar pollinosis at Ehime University Hospital and the related facilities between January and July in 2005. The 58 patients were divided into two groups ; medicated from the preseason (PM) and medicated during the season (DM). The patients' major nasal symptoms (sneezing, rhinorrhea, and nasal obstruction) and the quality of life of the patients were accessed using a questionnaire survey. Their symptom and symptom medication scores were also assessed and compared between the two groups. Sneezing was observed to improve in the PM group by the administration of olopatadine for two weeks, and major nasal symptoms were improved for two and four weeks after the treatment in the DM group. The QOL was improved by the administration for two and four weeks in both groups. The only complication was sleepiness, which was observed in one patient (1.7%) in the study. These results demonstrated that olopatadine hydrochlorides provided effective medication for patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis even in the patients during the pollen season.

View full abstract