Mortality From Aspiration Pneumonia: Incidence, Trends, And Risk Factors, Trisha Gupte, John D. Cramer M.D., Arthur Knack Phd, Ccc-Slp

Medical Student Research Symposium

Aspiration pneumonia is a potentially preventable, aggressive type of pneumonia. Little is understood on the burden in mortality from aspiration pneumonia. Our objectives were to first examine the burden of mortality from aspiration pneumonia in the United States and second investigate comorbidities associated with aspiration pneumonia to understand risk factors. We conducted a case-control study of individuals who died of aspiration pneumonia matched to those who died of other causes. We analyzed all deaths in the United States using the Multiple Cause of Death Dataset from 1999-2017. Cases were matched with controls based on age, sex, and race. We calculated …

Acetyl Isogambogic Acid Activates Unfolded Protein Response And Apoptosis In Head And Neck Cancer, Mehrnoosh Ghafouri, Chester Gauss, Yue Xi Phd, Thomas Jetmore Md, Jordyn Lucas Md, Michael U. Callaghan Md, Andrew M. Fribley Phd

Medical Student Research Symposium

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) develops in the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and throat. HNSCC is the sixth most common malignancy in the world with 650,000 new diagnosis and 350,000 death every year. Current treatments are chemotherapy and radiation however, the 5-year survival rate for patients at stage 3 or 4 is less than 50%. There is an urgent unmet clinical need to investigate novel treatments for these patients. HNSCC is characterized by dysregulated cell growth rate and aberrant protein synthesis which leads to increased protein folding demand and the need for chaperones. This high protein …

Complications Of Pediatric Cochlear Implant Surgery, Andrew Stefan, Sabrina Bernardo, William Azkoul Ii, Bianca Siegel

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background:

Cochlear implantation (CI) surgery is the standard of care treatment for pediatric patients diagnosed with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. While considered a relatively safe operation, any invasive procedure involving the cranium has risks. However, there are few recent studies in the United States that have analyzed complication rates among children who have received CI. Furthermore, existing studies fail to discuss specific risk factors that led to post-operative complications, nor offer solutions to reduce their incidence. This study aims to 1) determine the incidence of specific complications in pediatric CI patients and 2) identify evidence-based risk factors for …

Endoscopic Cricoid Split As A Treatment For Subglottic Stenosis: A Systematic Review, Silvia Aluia, Katherine Akers, Michael Chung Md

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction: Subglottic stenosis, a fibrotic narrowing of the airway below the vocal cords extending to the lower border of the cricoid cartilage, can be classified as congenital, idiopathic, or acquired in neonates from prolonged intubation. Treatment has more recently expanded from open surgical intervention to include endoscopic procedures. This systematic review aims to evaluate existing literature on anterior and posterior endoscopic cricoid split procedures as a treatment for congenital and acquired subglottic stenosis in order to explore the efficacy of these techniques.

Methods: Literature searches were conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google scholar, which produced …

An Updated Patient-Centered Sialadenitis Instrument: The Obstructive Salivary Problem Impact Test (Spit), Arushi Gulati, David M. Cognetti, David S. Cohen, M. Allison Ogden, Barry M. Schaitkin, Rohan R. Walvekar, William R. Ryan, Jolie L. Chang

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Objective: The Chronic Obstructive Sialadenitis Symptoms questionnaire (COSS) was created to assess chronic sialadenitis symptoms and treatment response, but its development lacked patient input and validation. We analyzed COSS responses and feedback from sialadenitis patients and physician experts to create the novel obstructive Salivary Problem Impact Test (SPIT), a new standardized measure of sialadenitis-associated symptoms. Methods: We analyzed COSS responses via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify essential symptom domains and reduce overlap in questions. Sialadenitis patients evaluated the significance of index symptoms identified from the literature review. Expert physicians rated symptom relevance in clinical assessment. An updated questionnaire (SPIT) …

Knowledge-Based Planning For The Radiation Therapy Treatment Plan Quality Assurance For Patients With Head And Neck Cancer, Wenhua Cao, Mary Gronberg, Adenike Olanrewaju, Thomas Whitaker, Karen Hoffman, Carlos Cardenas, Adam Garden, Heath Skinner, Beth Beadle, Laurence Court

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using a knowledge-based planning technique to detect poor quality VMAT plans for patients with head and neck cancer. We created two dose-volume histogram (DVH) prediction models using a commercial knowledge-based planning system (RapidPlan, Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) from plans generated by manual planning (MP) and automated planning (AP) approaches. DVHs were predicted for evaluation cohort 1 (EC1) of 25 patients and compared with achieved DVHs of MP and AP plans to evaluate prediction accuracy. Additionally, we predicted DVHs for evaluation cohort 2 (EC2) of 25 patients for which we intentionally …

Success And Outcomes Following A Second Salvage Attempt For Free Flap Compromise In Patients Undergoing Head And Neck Reconstruction, Allison A Slijepcevic, Gavin Young, Justin Shinn, Steven B Cannady, Matthew Hanasono, Matthew Old, Jeewanjot S Grewal, Tamer Ghanem, Yadranko Ducic, Joseph M Curry, Mark K Wax

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Incidence of perioperative free flap compromise is low, with successful salvage in up to 70%. When the flap is compromised a second time, the value of intervening is unknown.

Objective: To assess the outcomes of a second revascularization attempt for compromised free flaps.

Design, setting, and participants: This multicenter retrospective medical record review included patients undergoing head and neck reconstruction with free flaps at 6 US medical centers from January 1, 2000, through December 30, 2020. Patients were 18 years or older with a history of head and neck defects from cancer, osteoradionecrosis, or other wounds. Of 3510 flaps …

Outcomes After Definitive Surgery For Mandibular Osteoradionecrosis, Kevin J Contrera, Steven B Chinn, Randal S Weber, Dianna Roberts, Jeffery N Myers, Stephen Y Lai, Carol M Lewis, Amy C Hessel, Ann M Gillenwater, Collin F Mulcahy, Peirong Yu, Matthew M Hanasono, Clifton D Fuller, Mark S Chambers, Mark E Zafereo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: To analyze charges, complications, survival, and functional outcomes for definitive surgery of mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN).

Materials and methods: Retrospective analysis of 76 patients who underwent segmental mandibulectomy with reconstruction from 2000 to 2009.

Results: Complications occurred in 49 (65%) patients and were associated with preoperative drainage (odds ratio [OR] 4.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-19.27). The adjusted median charge was $343 000, and higher charges were associated with double flap reconstruction (OR 8.15, 95% CI 2.19-30.29) and smoking (OR 5.91, 95% CI 1.69-20.72). Improved swallow was associated with age <67 years (OR 3.76, 95% CI 1.16-12.17) and preoperative swallow (OR 3.42, 95% CI 1.23-9.51). Five-year ORN-recurrence-free survival was 93% while overall survival was 63% and associated with pulmonary disease (HR [hazard ratio] 3.57, 95% CI 1.43-8.94).

Conclusions: Although recurrence of ORN is rare, surgical complications are …

Integrative Genomic Analysis Reveals Low T-Cell Infiltration As The Primary Feature Of Tobacco Use In Hpv-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer, Benjamin M Wahle, Paul Zolkind, Ricardo J Ramirez, Zachary L Skidmore, Sydney R Anderson, Angela Mazul, D Neil Hayes, Vlad C Sandulache, Wade L Thorstad, Douglas Adkins, Obi L Griffith, Malachi Griffith, Jose P Zevallos

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Although tobacco use is an independent adverse prognostic feature in HPV(+) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), the biologic features associated with tobacco use have not been systematically investigated. We characterized genomic and immunologic features associated with tobacco use through whole exome sequencing, mRNA hybridization, and immunohistochemical staining in 47 HPV(+) OPSCC tumors. Low expression of transcripts in a T cell-inflamed gene expression profile (TGEP) was associated with tobacco use at diagnosis and lower overall and disease-free survival. Tobacco use was associated with an increased proportion of T > C substitutions and a lower proportion of expected mutational signatures, but not with …

Outcome Of Newborn Hearing Screening Program In A Tertiary Care Centre, South India., S. Sija, V. K. Gireeshan, V. T. Ajith Kumar Professor And Head Of The Department, T. V. Rajesh Additional Professor

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Objective

To determine the coverage and outcome of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) Program in Government Medical College Manjeri, South India. To study the prevalence of hearing loss (HL) among those children screened, to describe the characteristics of confirmed cases, and the status of speech and language development acquired by them at follow up.

Design

Hospital based retro prospective study.

Methods

Data were collected from all newborns who underwent Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) over a four-year period (November 2014 to October 2018). Cases with confirmed hearing loss were studied by pre-structured questionnaire and telephonic interview. Speech and language …

Case Report: How A Vallecular Cyst Could Have Become An Airway Emergency, Adam Kandil, Robin Lahr, Andrew Caravello

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Vallecular cysts, also known as epiglottic mucous retention cysts are known to be generally self-limiting laryngeal lesion. They can however also be associated with airway obstruction, and dysphagia in infants. In adults, they are usually asymptomatic, and usually incidentally diagnosed. At times they are diagnosed during rapid sequence intubation, as they may contribute to endotracheal intubation difficulty. Moreover, there is question as to the correlation between vallecular cysts and the incidence of acute epiglottitis, as a vallecular cyst may become infected and cause a localized expansion of inflammation and infection. This expansion from the vallecula progresses to epiglottis.

The Utility Of An Inpatient Consult For Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion, Pankti P. Acharya, Jason Cohn

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Paradoxical vocal fold motion (PVFM) is vocal fold adduction during inspiration

Patients often present with dyspnea, throat tightness, and cough

Common risk factors that predispose patients to PVFM include gastroesophageal reflux disease, psychiatric disease, chronic cough, airway irritation, and female gender

This study was conducted to identify possible risk factors and associated conditions for PVFM; additionally, a novel scoring system was developed to aid in diagnosis of PVFM

Cpap And Epistaxis: Is There A Connection In Osa Patients?, Aesha Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has become a standard form of therapy for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). There are reports of patients suffering from episodes of epistaxis within the initial few weeks of starting CPAP therapy, believed to be due to the high flow rate of air during use, nasal CPAP purportedly dries the nasal mucosa, leading to an increased risk of scabbing, ulceration, and ultimately epistaxis. This study seeks to analyze whether epistaxis is common in patients following CPAP initiation and then compare this rate of epistaxis amongst OSA patients that received upper airway stimulation (UAS) …

Nasal Chondromesenchymal Hamartoma: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature, Jana Ghulmiyyah

Research Days

Background: Nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma (NCMH) is a rare benign tumor of the sinonasal cavity. It commonly presents in infancy, however there are reported cases of adult tumors. As of August 2021, there have been 56 reported cases in the literature. This is the first description of a solely endoscopically resected NCMH in a neonate in addition to a review of the literature.

Case Presentation: A 5-day old male patient born at term presented to our institution for stridor and cyanosis since birth. The patient was reported to have desaturations while feeding at the outside hospital. On bedside examination, the patient …

Hearing Durability And Trajectory After Radiosurgery For Vestibular Schwannoma, Christian G. Fritz, Dennis I. Bojrab Ii, Nathan C. Tu, Christopher A. Schutt, Dennis I. Bojrab, Seilesh C. Babu

Posters

INTRODUCTION
Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are benign skull base tumors arising from the eighth cranial nerve. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is emerging as treatment for smaller sized tumors with the intent being to prevent further tumor growth, thus avoiding mass-effect symptoms. Hearing outcomes are commonly presented as preservation of class A/B hearing (defined as Pure Tone Average (PTA) ≤50 dB with Word Recognition Score (WRS) ≥50 dB). Long-term follow-up data on hearing outcomes and hearing trajectory trends are limited.

Manual Therapy For Patients With Radiation-Associated Trismus After Head And Neck Cancer, Holly Mcmillan, Carly E A Barbon, Richard Cardoso, Abigail Sedory, Sheila Buoy, Christine Porsche, Kiara Savage, Lauren Mayo, Katherine A Hutcheson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Trismus is highly prevalent in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivorship. Current standards for trismus treatment include various stretch-based exercise protocols as a primary and single treatment modality with limited evidence regarding the role of manual therapy (MT) for this indication.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect size and associations of response to MT to increase oral opening in the setting of radiation-associated trismus.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective case series was conducted at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2016 and March 2020 (before COVID-19 interruption) and included 49 disease-free survivors of HNC who were …

Use Of Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis To Correct Micrognathia And Airway Obstruction In Newborn Female With Pierre Robin Sequence And Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome In Rural Appalachia, Seneca Williams, Adam Van Horn Md

Marshall Journal of Medicine

We present a case of Pierre Robin sequence and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in a newborn female patient to highlight the surgical technique of mandibular distraction osteogenesis to correct airway obstruction due to micrognathia. The patient presented as a transport after delivery due to respiratory distress. She was noted to have a cleft palate and micrognathia. The absence of other dysmorphic features diagnosed her with non-syndromic Pierre Robin sequence. To solve her upper airway obstruction, mandibular distraction osteogenesis was performed. This procedure allowed the patient to be weaned from all respiratory support and nasogastric tube feeds by the end of …

Conversations In Cochlear Implantation: The Inner Ear Therapy Of Today, Grant Rauterkus, Anne K. Maxwell, Jacob B. Kahane, Jennifer J. Lentz, Moises A. Arriaga

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

As biomolecular approaches for hearing restoration in profound sensorineural hearing loss evolve, they will be applied in conjunction with or instead of cochlear implants. An understanding of the current state-of-the-art of this technology, including its advantages, disadvantages, and its potential for delivering and interacting with biomolecular hearing restoration approaches, is helpful for designing modern hearing-restoration strategies. Cochlear implants (CI) have evolved over the last four decades to restore hearing more effectively, in more people, with diverse indications. This evolution has been driven by advances in technology, surgery, and healthcare delivery. Here, we offer a practical treatise on the state of …

Genetic Susceptibility To Patient-Reported Xerostomia Among Long-Term Oropharyngeal Cancer Survivors, Puja Aggarwal, Katherine A Hutcheson, Robert Yu, Jian Wang, Clifton D Fuller, Adam S Garden, Ryan P Goepfert, Jillian Rigert, Frank E Mott, Charles Lu, Stephen Y Lai, G Brandon Gunn, Mark S Chambers, Guojun Li, Chih-Chieh Wu, Ehab Y Hanna, Erich M Sturgis, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Genetic susceptibility for xerostomia, a common sequela of radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer, is unknown. Therefore, to identify genetic variants associated with moderate to severe xerostomia, we conducted a GWAS of 359 long-term oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) survivors using 579,956 autosomal SNPs. Patient-reported cancer treatment-related xerostomia was assessed using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory. Patient response was dichotomized as moderate to severe or none to mild symptoms. In our study, 39.2% of OPC survivors reported moderate to severe xerostomia. Our GWAS identified eight SNPs suggestively associated with higher risk of moderate to severe xerostomia in six genomic regions …

Communities Helping The Hearing Of Infants By Reaching Parents (Chhirp) Through Patient Navigation: A Hybrid Implementation Effectiveness Stepped Wedge Trial Protocol, Matthew Bush, Miranda Hatfield, Marissa Schuh, Beverly K. Balasuriya, Anthony Mahairas, Julie Jacobs, Christina R. Studts, Philip M. Westgate, Nancy E. Schoenberg, Jennifer Shinn, Liza Creel

Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery Faculty Publications

Introduction As the most common neonatal sensory disorder in the USA, infant hearing loss has an incidence of 1.7 per 1000 births. The consequences of delayed diagnosis and failure to obtain timely intervention include significant communication impairment and negative socioeconomic effects. Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) national standards dictate that all infants should be screened and diagnosed by 3 months of age and there is a need for interventions that promote adherence to timely diagnosis. Patient navigation (PN) has been shown to be efficacious to decrease non-adherence with infant hearing diagnostic care; however, PN has yet to be tested …

An Imaging Biomarker Of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes To Risk-Stratify Patients With Hpv-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer, Germán Corredor, Paula Toro, Can Koyuncu, Cheng Lu, Christina Buzzy, Kaustav Bera, Pingfu Fu, Mitra Mehrad, Kim A Ely, Mojgan Mokhtari, Kailin Yang, Deborah Chute, David J Adelstein, Lester D R Thompson, Justin A Bishop, Farhoud Faraji, Wade Thorstad, Patricia Castro, Vlad Sandulache, Shlomo A Koyfman, James S Lewis, Anant Madabhushi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has excellent control rates compared to nonvirally associated OPSCC. Multiple trials are actively testing whether de-escalation of treatment intensity for these patients can maintain oncologic equipoise while reducing treatment-related toxicity. We have developed OP-TIL, a biomarker that characterizes the spatial interplay between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and surrounding cells in histology images. Herein, we sought to test whether OP-TIL can segregate stage I HPV-associated OPSCC patients into low-risk and high-risk groups and aid in patient selection for de-escalation clinical trials.

METHODS: Association between OP-TIL and patient outcome was explored on whole slide …

Survey Of Pediatric Critical Care Fellows On Postresuscitation Debriefing, Nicholas A Rossi, Mia Benavidez, Harold S Pine, Shiva Daram, Wasyl Szeremeta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Choanal atresia is a rare congenital airway malformation that presents a unique surgical challenge for pediatric otolaryngologists. Here we report two classic cases of choanal atresia and examine the surgical approaches to this entity. The first case was a four-day-old female with a history of CHARGE syndrome and bilateral mixed membranous and bony choanal atresia confirmed by a CT scan. After undergoing transnasal endoscopic repair, choanal stents were placed for four weeks, and the patient was seen three months postoperatively and found to be doing well with no respiratory concerns. The second case involved a healthy three-year-old female presenting with …

A Multi-Disciplinary Approach To Chronic Cough In Children, Shraddha S Mukerji, Naga Jaya Smitha Yenduri, Eric Chiou, Siby P Moonnumakal, Joshua R Bedwell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: (1) To highlight the important causes of chronic and recurrent cough in children. (2) To discuss multidisciplinary approach to management of chronic/recurrent pediatric cough.

METHODS: Review of scholarly articles, guidelines, expert panels via PubMed and Google Scholar.

CONCLUSION: Chronic cough (CC) in children is mainly attributed to persistent bacterial bronchitis, asthma, nonspecific cough, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms. A multi-disciplinary approach is cost-effective and aids with earlier diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Congenital or acquired narrowing of the subglottis is the leading ENT cause for recurrent croup (RC) in children. Laryngeal cleft-type 1 is commonly seen in children with …

Risk Factors Associated With Patient-Reported Fatigue Among Long-Term Oropharyngeal Carcinoma Survivors, Puja Aggarwal, Katherine A Hutcheson, Ryan P Goepfert, Adam S Garden, Naveen Garg, Frank E Mott, Clifton D Fuller, Stephen Y Lai, Gary Brandon Gunn, Mark S Chambers, Ehab Y Hanna, Erich M Sturgis, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The study objective is to identify risk factors associated with fatigue among long-term OPC survivors.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study included disease-free OPC survivors treated curatively between 2000 and 2013 who were surveyed from September 2015 to July 2016. The outcome variable was patient-reported fatigue. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with moderate to severe fatigue.

RESULTS: Among 863 OPC survivors, 17.4% reported moderate to severe fatigue. Self-reported thyroid problems (OR: 2.01; p = 0.003), current cigarette smoking at time of survey (OR: 3.85; p = 0.001), late lower cranial neuropathy (OR: 3.44; p = 0.002), and …

Otolaryngology Subspecialty Surgical Rescheduling Rates During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Emily S Sagalow, Alexander Duffy, Priyanga Selvakumar, David Cognetti

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Objective: In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, elective and oncologic surgical cases were cancelled. After adequate safety protocols were established, each subspecialty within otolaryngology faced unique challenges in reengaging patients for surgical scheduling.

Study design: Retrospective review from March to May 2020.

Setting: Single academic institution.

Methods: Patients whose otolaryngology surgery was cancelled due to COVID-19 hospital precautions were identified. Rescheduling rates were analyzed by subspecialty. Case completion was determined as the percentage of initially cancelled cases that were completed within 6 months of their original planned dates.

Results: Of 833 otolaryngology cases scheduled between March …

A Unique Case Of Metastatic Prostate Carcinoma To The Subglottis, Samuel Bosco, Kristen Prijs, Jordan Licata, Sandra A Schwartz, Raymond Lesser

Otolaryngology (ENT) Resident Research

An 85-year-old male presented to an otolaryngology office with hoarseness, stridor, and shortness of breath. He had been evaluated by 2 outside otolaryngologists for a 4-year history of hoarseness. He was referred for consideration for speech therapy regarding hoarseness, vocal fold edema, and a questionable right vocal fold polyp. The patient reported that his symptoms had worsened progressively over the prior 6-12 months. He had no history of head and neck cancer, recent intubation, autoimmune conditions, head and neck trauma, or smoking. The patient had a history of prostate carcinoma treated with radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy 18 …

Anatomic Considerations Of Perinasal Musculature For Improved Dental Show During Smile In Facial Synkinesis, Laura T. Hetzler, Marcus Hershey, Todd Lambert, Jason Mussell, Lee Mcdaniel, Sara Macdowell

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: There is an anatomic explanation for upper lip and midfacial tethering resulting in lack of motion in facial synkinesis. Objective: To measure the effect of perinasal chemodenervation on dental show in the synkinetic population and clarify the anatomic relationship of perinasal musculature. Methods: Literature search was performed on anatomy of the perinasal modiolus, and anatomic evaluation was performed through human anatomic specimen dissection. Photographic outcomes were observed in synkinetic patients receiving chemodenervation to smile antagonists with and without perinasal muscle injections and assessed through naive observer survey. Retrospective outcomes for all patients receiving perinasal chemodenervation was collected utilizing Facial …

Examination Of Care Processes And Treatment Optimization For Head And Neck Cancer Patients In A Community Setting “Hub And Hub” Model, Harleen K. Sethi, Elijah Walker, Travis Weinsheim, Matthew J. Brennan, Christopher E. Fundakowski

Otolaryngology (ENT) Resident Research

Objective

To examine referral pattern, the timing of diagnostic/staging processes, and treatment initiation for new head and neck cancer patients in a community setting.

Methods

Patients with a newly diagnosed previously untreated diagnosis of head neck cancer managed at Asplundh Cancer Pavilion/Abington Memorial Hospital from October 2018 to March 2020. Source of referral and preceding workup were examined as well as intervals between initial head and neck consult and various timepoints of treatment initiation.

Results

One hundred and five patients were included in the study. The primary referral sources were external general otolaryngology (56.3%). Oral surgery and dermatology obtained tissue …

Tadalafil Enhances Immune Signatures In Response To Neoadjuvant Nivolumab In Resectable Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Adam J. Luginbuhl, Jennifer Johnson, Larry Harshyne,, Alban J Linnenbach, Sanket Kumar Shukla, Angela Alnemri, Gaurav Kumar, David Cognetti, Joseph Curry, Nikita Kotlov, Zoya Antysheva, Sandrine Degryse, Kyle Mannion, Michael K Gibson, James Netterville, Brandee Brown, Rita S. Axelrod, Ralph G. Zinner, Madalina Tuluc, Stacey Gargano, Benjamin E Leiby, Ayako Shimada, M G Mahoney, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn, Ulrich Rodeck, Young J Kim, Andrew P. South, Athanassios Argiris

Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers

Purpose: We hypothesize that the addition of the phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor tadalafil to the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab, is safe and will augment immune-mediated antitumor responses in previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC).

Patients and methods: We conducted a two-arm multi-institutional neoadjuvant randomized trial in any-stage resectable HNSCC (NCT03238365). Patients were stratified at randomization by human papillomavirus (HPV) status. Patients in both arms received nivolumab 240 mg intravenously on days 1 and 15 followed by surgery on day 28. Those in the combination therapy arm also received tadalafil 10 mg orally once daily for 4 weeks. Imaging, …

P16 Represses Dna Damage Repair Via A /Novel Ubiquitin-Dependent Signaling Cascade, David P Molkentine, Jessica M Molkentine, Kathleen A Bridges, David R Valdecanas, Annika Dhawan, Reshub Bahri, Andrew J Hefner, Manish Kumar, Liangpeng Yang, Mohamed Abdelhakiem, Phillip M Pifer, Vlad Sandulache, Aakash Sheth, Beth M Beadle, Howard D Thames, Kathryn A Mason, Curtis R Pickering, Raymond E Meyn, Heath D Skinner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Squamous cell carcinoma driven by human papillomavirus (HPV) is more sensitive to DNA-damaging therapies than its HPV-negative counterpart. Here, we show that p16, the clinically used surrogate for HPV positivity, renders cells more sensitive to radiotherapy via a ubiquitin-dependent signaling pathway, linking high levels of this protein to increased activity of the transcription factor SP1, increased HUWE1 transcription, and degradation of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) and TRIP12. Activation of this pathway in HPV-positive disease led to decreased homologous recombination and improved response to radiotherapy, a phenomenon that can be recapitulated in HPV-negative disease using USP7 inhibitors in clinical development. This …