Asbestos Cancer Update 2008

Peking University, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of a novel organoselenium compound BBSKE (1,2-[bis(1,2-Benzisoselenazolone-3(2H)-ketone)]ethane, BBSKE, PCT: CN02/00412) on cell growth and apoptosis, focusing on the protein activity of Thioredoxin Reductase (TrxR) and Caspase-3, in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in vitro and in vivo. Oral squamous cancer cell line Tca8113 was treated with various concentrations of BBSKE. Growth and apoptosis as well as the protein activities were analyzed. Morphologic changes of Tca8113 cells after 24h treatment of BBSKE were determined by fluorescence microscopy. The increase of Caspase-3 activity and decrease of Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) activity were also measured. BBSKE induced a significant cell growth inhibition and elicited typical apoptotic morphologic changes (chromatic condensation, nucleus fragmentation). This phenomenon was accompanied by a change in protein activity of Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and Caspase-3. The anti-cancer effect of BBSKE was then studied in well-established Tca8113 xenografts in nude mice. In those tumors, anti-cancer effects were observed and significantly higher than the controls. Together, these results indicate that BBSKE can inhibit tongue cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and induce apoptosis in Tca8113 cell lines partially via inhibiting the activity of TrxR and promoting the activity of Caspase-3.

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Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Surgical margin is important to evaluate the adequacy of surgery related to tongue cancer. Despite the distances of margins, tumor components comprising the involved margins should also be investigated. Our aim was to explore the influences of tumor satellites on the clinical outcomes of involved margins. METHODS: Two hundred twenty-five patients with fresh tongue cancer were investigated. Nineteen patients with pathologically confirmed involved margins were enrolled. Based on the analysis of tumor components of involved margins, they were classified into 2 groups of either tumor-satellite involved margins (SMs) or main-tumor involved margins (MMs). RESULTS: The results showed that the clinical stages distribution was different: advanced stages in the MM group, and earlier in SM (p = .028). SM group had a higher incidence of neck recurrence (p = .040). Nonetheless, no difference in the disease-specific survival was noted. CONCLUSION: Tumor-satellite involved margins should be regarded as a worse prognosticator in tongue cancer. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008.

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Department of Head and Neck, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6 Ariake Koutou-ku, Tokyo, Japan. seyosimoto@jfcr.or.jp

CONCLUSIONS: For T2 tumors, surgery was indicated if functional preservation was possible. For T3/T4 tumors, the rate of primary disease control was not high and surgery frequently involved total laryngectomy. Points that surgeons must heed when performing such surgery were delineated. OBJECTIVES: Because tumors originating from the base of the tongue are rare, few large-scale studies of such tumors have been performed. We reviewed treatments and outcomes at our department to establish effective future therapeutic plans. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1971 to 2000, 84 patients with previously untreated and resectable squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue were treated at the Head and Neck Department of the Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo. Treatment selection and results were investigated. RESULTS: The main treatment options were radiotherapy for primary lesions < or = T2 and surgery for primary lesions > or = T3. Overall disease-specific 5-year cumulative survival rate was 59.8%, but there was no significant difference in survival rate at each stage between the two treatments. Among patients who died of the primary disease, the area that was most difficult to control was the superior margin of the lateral wall of the oropharynx (n=7). The incidence of contralateral or retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis was low if tumors neither crossed the midline nor infiltrated the lateral wall. While total laryngectomy was performed on 48 patients, the larynx was operatively preserved in 5 T3 patients and one T4 patient.

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Department of Radiation Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively investigate the therapeutic results of arterial injection therapy by way of the superficial temporal artery for 88 cases of Stage III and IV (M0) tongue cancer and to clarify the factors that affected the therapeutic results. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We administered intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy by continuous infusion of carboplatin in 39 patients between January 1993 and July 2002. Systemic concurrent chemotherapy was given to 19 of these patients. We administered intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin with sodium thiosulfate to 49 patients between October 2002 and December 2006. Concurrent systemic chemotherapy was given to 38 of these patients. RESULTS: The 3-year local control rate was 72% (T2-T3, 80%; and T4, 48%), and the 3-year survival rate was 57% (Stage III, 67%; Stage IV, 43%). On univariate analysis, age, T stage, N stage, overall stage, systemic chemotherapy, difference in intra-arterial chemotherapy, and performance status had a significant effect on survival. On multivariate analysis, N stage, systemic chemotherapy, difference in intra-arterial chemotherapy, and artery selected had a significant effect on survival. CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic results of intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy using the superficial temporal artery were not inferior to the results of surgery. In particular, the results of arterial injection therapy using cisplatin with sodium thiosulfate were excellent, and we believe it will be a new therapy for advanced tongue cancer.

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Department of Radiation Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to improve the treatment results for locally advanced tongue cancer. A combination of radiotherapy with continuous intra-arterial therapy using CBDCA was used. STUDY DESIGN: According to TNM staging (1997), 29 patients had stage III lesions and 11 patients had stage IV (M0) lesions. A catheter was inserted through the lingual artery in 26 patients, through the external carotid artery in 11 patients, and through the faciolingual trunk in 2 patients. CBDCA was continuously infused for 4 to 6 weeks. With IA chemotherapy, external irradiation (median dose: 46.8 Gy) was simultaneously performed, and 1 to 2 courses of systemic chemotherapy were performed in 19 patients before intra-arterial chemotherapy. RESULTS: The 5-year local control rate was 65%. The 5-year OS rate was 39.5%. There were no clinically significant adverse side effects. CONCLUSION: Continuous IA CBDCA and concurrent radiation therapy can be delivered safely with good efficacy for locally advanced carcinoma of the tongue.

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