Effect of Radiation on Normal Tissues in the Head and Neck

Author(s):  
Rodney R. Million ◽  
James T. Parsons ◽  
William M. Mendenhall
Keyword(s):  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haneen A . Basheer ◽  
Lina Elsalem ◽  
Anwar Salem ◽  
Artysha Tailor ◽  
Keith Hunter ◽  
...  

Background: The increased glutamine metabolism is a characteristic feature of cancer cells. The interconversion between glutamine and glutamate is catalyzed by two glutaminase isoforms, GLS1 and GLS2, which appear to have different roles in different types of cancer. We investigated for the first time the protein expression of GLS1 and GLS2, and their correlation with advanced clinicopathological parameters in head and neck cancers. Method: Consecutive slides from a tissue microarray comprised of 80 samples ranging from normal to metastatic, were stained immunohistochemically for GLS1, GLS2, HIF-1α or CD147. Following analysis by two expert pathologists we carried out statistical analysis of the scores. Results: GLS1 and GLS2 are upregulated at protein level in head and neck tumours compared to normal tissues and this increased expression correlated positively (GLS1) and negatively (GLS2) with tumor grade, indicating a shift of expression between GLS enzyme isoforms based on tumor differentiation. Increased expression of GLS1 was associated with high CD147 expression; and elevated GLS2 expression was associated with both high CD147 and high HIF-1α expressions. The correlation of the GLS1 and GLS2 with HIF-1α or CD147 was strongly associated with more advanced clinicopathological parameters. Conclusion: The increased expression of GLS1 and GLS2 may be explored as a new treatment for head and neck cancers.


2003 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Vissink ◽  
J. Jansma ◽  
F.K.L. Spijkervet ◽  
F.R. Burlage ◽  
R.P. Coppes

In addition to anti-tumor effects, ionizing radiation causes damage in normal tissues located in the radiation portals. Oral complications of radiotherapy in the head and neck region are the result of the deleterious effects of radiation on, e.g., salivary glands, oral mucosa, bone, dentition, masticatory musculature, and temporomandibular joints. The clinical consequences of radiotherapy include mucositis, hyposalivation, taste loss, osteoradionecrosis, radiation caries, and trismus. Mucositis and taste loss are reversible consequences that usually subside early post-irradiation, while hyposalivation is normally irreversible. Furthermore, the risk of developing radiation caries and osteoradionecrosis is a life-long threat. All these consequences form a heavy burden for the patients and have a tremendous impact on their quality of life during and after radiotherapy. In this review, the radiation-induced changes in healthy oral tissues and the resulting clinical consequences are discussed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Yunfeng Zhao ◽  
Cherie Ann Nathan ◽  
Chunjing Zhang ◽  
Hongyan Du ◽  
Manikandan Panchatcharam ◽  
...  

Background: New adjuvant therapies for human head and neck (H&N) cancer to improve the quality of life of the patients are in great demand. Our early studies have demonstrated that uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is upregulated in the tumor tissues of H&N cancer compared to the adjacent normal tissues; however, the role of UCP2 in H&N cancer has not been studied. Objective: In this manuscript, we aim to examine whether UCP2 contributes to H&N cancer progression in vitro. Methods: We generated UCP2 stable knockdown H&N cancer cells and detected the effects of UCP2 inhibition on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, 3D spheroid formation, and the sensitivity to a chemodrug treatment. Results: Knockdown of UCP2 suppressed the progression of H&N cancer in vitro, which might be mediated via the following mechanism: 1) increased the G1 phase whereas decreased the S phase of the cell cycle, which could be mediated by suppression of the G1/S regulators including CDK4/6 and cyclin D1. 2) Decreased mitochondrial oxygen consumption, ATP production, and lactate formation, which is consistent with the downregulation of c-Myc. 3) FAK may serve as the upstream signaling molecule, and its action was mediated by Akt and ERK. Conclusions: Our studies first demonstrate that targeting UCP2 may suppress H&N cancer progression in vitro.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1666
Author(s):  
Zijing Liu ◽  
Lihua Dong ◽  
Zhuangzhuang Zheng ◽  
Shiyu Liu ◽  
Shouliang Gong ◽  
...  

Radiation therapy is a common treatment for head and neck cancers. However, because of the presence of nerve structures (brain stem, spinal cord, and brachial plexus), salivary glands (SGs), mucous membranes, and swallowing muscles in the head and neck regions, radiotherapy inevitably causes damage to these normal tissues. Among them, SG injury is a serious adverse event, and its clinical manifestations include changes in taste, difficulty chewing and swallowing, oral infections, and dental caries. These clinical symptoms seriously reduce a patient’s quality of life. Therefore, it is important to clarify the mechanism of SG injury caused by radiotherapy. Although the mechanism of radiation-induced SG injury has not yet been determined, recent studies have shown that the mechanisms of calcium signaling, microvascular injury, cellular senescence, and apoptosis are closely related to oxidative stress. In this article, we review the mechanism by which radiotherapy causes oxidative stress and damages the SGs. In addition, we discuss effective methods to prevent and treat radiation-induced SG damage.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Else Driehuis ◽  
Sacha Spelier ◽  
Irati Beltrán Hernández ◽  
Remco de Bree ◽  
Stefan M. Willems ◽  
...  

Patients diagnosed with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are currently treated with surgery and/or radio- and chemotherapy. Despite these therapeutic interventions, 40% of patients relapse, urging the need for more effective therapies. In photodynamic therapy (PDT), a light-activated photosensitizer produces reactive oxygen species that ultimately lead to cell death. Targeted PDT, using a photosensitizer conjugated to tumor-targeting molecules, has been explored as a more selective cancer therapy. Organoids are self-organizing three-dimensional structures that can be grown from both normal and tumor patient-material and have recently shown translational potential. Here, we explore the potential of a recently described HNSCC–organoid model to evaluate Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-targeted PDT, through either antibody- or nanobody-photosensitizer conjugates. We find that EGFR expression levels differ between organoids derived from different donors, and recapitulate EGFR expression levels of patient material. EGFR expression levels were found to correlate with the response to EGFR-targeted PDT. Importantly, organoids grown from surrounding normal tissues showed lower EGFR expression levels than their tumor counterparts, and were not affected by the treatment. In general, nanobody-targeted PDT was more effective than antibody-targeted PDT. Taken together, patient-derived HNSCC organoids are a useful 3D model for testing in vitro targeted PDT.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 792
Author(s):  
Jiří Novotný ◽  
Veronika Bandúrová ◽  
Hynek Strnad ◽  
Martin Chovanec ◽  
Miluše Hradilová ◽  
...  

Aberrant regulation of the cell cycle is a typical feature of all forms of cancer. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), it is often associated with the overexpression of cyclin D1 (CCND1). However, it remains unclear how CCND1 expression changes between tumor and normal tissues and whether human papillomavirus (HPV) affects differential CCND1 expression. Here, we evaluated the expression of D-type cyclins in a cohort of 94 HNSCC patients of which 82 were subjected to whole genome expression profiling of primary tumors and paired normal mucosa. Comparative analysis of paired samples showed that CCND1 was upregulated in 18% of HNSCC tumors. Counterintuitively, CCND1 was downregulated in 23% of carcinomas, more frequently in HPV-positive samples. There was no correlation between the change in D-type cyclin expression and patient survival. Intriguingly, among the tumors with downregulated CCND1, one-third showed an increase in cyclin D2 (CCND2) expression. On the other hand, one-third of tumors with upregulated CCND1 showed a decrease in CCND2. Collectively, we have shown that CCND1 was frequently downregulated in HNSCC tumors. Furthermore, regardless of the HPV status, our data suggested that a change in CCND1 expression was alleviated by a compensatory change in CCND2 expression.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1518-1524 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Lam ◽  
R. Gupta ◽  
M. Levental ◽  
E. Yu ◽  
H.D. Curtin ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dheeraj Kumar ◽  
Namrata Rastogi

ABSTRACT Cancer is a class of diseases in which a cell or a group of cells display uncontrolled growth, invasion, and sometimes metastasis. The term head and neck cancer refers to a group of biologically similar cancers originating from the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, oral cavity, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, pharynx and larynx. About 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, originating from the mucosal lining (epithelium) of these regions. Radiation therapy is the most common form of treatment along with surgery and chemotherapy. There are different forms of radiation therapy, including 3D conformal radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy and brachytherapy, which are commonly used in the treatment of cancers of the head and neck. There are both acute and long-term sequelae of radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) that occur because of effects on normal tissues. Radiotherapy-induced oral complications are complex, dynamic pathobiological processes that lower the quality of life and predispose patients to serious clinical disorders. Radiotherapy-induced damage in the oral mucosa is the result of the deleterious effects of radiation, not only on the oral mucosa itself but also on the adjacent salivary glands, bone, dentition, and masticatory musculature and apparatus. Dental surgeons should organize and implement preventive and therapeutic strategies in the management of various complications due to radiotherapy. The clinical features, diagnosis and management of various complications are discussed here. This article mainly presents a brief overview of the whole program of oral evaluation and proper care before, during and after the radiotherapy, managing all the common problems involved.


1984 ◽  
Vol 98 (12) ◽  
pp. 1241-1250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shan-Rong Shi ◽  
Atul K. Bhan ◽  
Ben Z. Pilch ◽  
Lan Bo Chen ◽  
Max L. Goodman

AbstractImmunohistochemical staining for keratin proteins may be useful as a diagnostic parameter in head and neck neoplasms. Our study evaluates the keratin antibody staining properties of normal tissues as well as neoplastic and non-neoplastic head and neck lesions from surgical procedures performed on 100 patients. The results indicate that the anti-keratin antibody technique can be helpful in several areas of head and neck pathology.


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