Key Points The incidence of melanoma continues to increase at epidemic proportions. Warning signs for melanoma include lesion asymmetry, border irregularity, color variation, diameter greater than 6 mm, and evolving changes. A subset of cancers—such as nodular, amelanotic, and desmoplastic melanoma—lack…
Key Points The goal of palliative care is to provide relief of suffering regardless of life expectancy or treatment status. Palliative care requires a multidisciplinary approach to address the physical, emotional, and spiritual distress that a patient may be experiencing.…
Key Points Free tissue transfer involves auto-transplantation of skin, soft tissue, muscle, or bone isolated on a supporting vascular supply. Although more than 40 donor sites for free tissue transfer have been described, forearm, fibula, scapula, and anterolateral thigh flaps…
Key Points Flap survival depends on adequate perfusion to meet the metabolic demands of the mobilized tissue. The primary insult that affects flap survival is impaired vascular supply and the resultant ischemia. Flap survival is the rule in the majority…
Key Points Combined-modality therapy (CMT) is a treatment option for patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, most often in three clinical scenarios: (1) chemoradiation delivered concomitantly for an enhanced local treatment effect, known as…
Key Points Basic Radiation Physics The unit of measure for radiation is gray (Gy), which corresponds to 1 joule (J) being deposited per kilogram of material. The two main energy sources in use are electrons and photons. Electrons differ from…
Key Points Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted pathogen that is etiologically responsible for a growing subset of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC). HPV-related OPSCC (HPV-OPSCC) patients more often present with small primary-site disease and lymph node involvement when…
Key Points Molecular mechanisms underlying head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are opportunities for targeted therapeutics. Tobacco and human papilloma virus (HPV), risk factors for HNSCCs, impart genomic patterns; for example, mutation rates are higher for tobacco-associated tumors compared…
Key Points Gene-therapy strategies involve replacing defective genes with functional variants, enhancing the expression of certain key genes, or suppressing genes that contribute to disease. Methods of administering gene therapy include direct injection of DNA/RNA, use of specialized nonviral vectors…
Key Points Flexible and rigid bronchoscopy are essential diagnostic and therapeutic tools for management of thoracic diseases. Diagnostic yields of navigation/guided bronchoscopy increase with (1) experience of the user, (2) the presence of a bronchus sign on CT imaging, and…