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Tonsillar Undifferentiated Carcinoma

MedGen UID:
277822
•Concept ID:
C1336766
•
Neoplastic Process
Synonym: Tonsillar Lymphoepithelioma

Definition

A non-keratinizing carcinoma arising from the tonsil. It is characterized by the presence of large malignant cells with vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli, syncytial growth pattern, and a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. [from NCI]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVTonsillar Undifferentiated Carcinoma

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Second Primary Tumors in Patients Presenting With Unilateral HPV-Associated Tonsillar Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
McMillan RA, Van Abel KM, Yin LX, Routman DM, Ma DJ, Neben Wittich MA, Price DL, Kasperbauer JL, Price KR, Chintakuntlawar AV, Moore EJ
Laryngoscope 2022 Feb;132(2):332-338. Epub 2021 Jul 8 doi: 10.1002/lary.29741. PMID: 34236086
The keys to conservative treatment of early-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsillar region.
Laccourreye O, Castelnau-Marchand P, Rubin F, Badoual C, Halimi P, Giraud P
Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis 2017 Sep;134(4):259-264. Epub 2017 Apr 14 doi: 10.1016/j.anorl.2017.03.007. PMID: 28416263
ACR Appropriateness Criteria(®) Locoregional therapy for resectable oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas.
Beitler JJ, Quon H, Jones CU, Salama JK, Busse PM, Cooper JS, Koyfman SA, Ridge JA, Saba NF, Siddiqui F, Smith RV, Worden F, Yao M, Yom SS; Expert Panel on Radiation Oncology - Head and Neck
Head Neck 2016 Sep;38(9):1299-309. Epub 2016 Jun 22 doi: 10.1002/hed.24447. PMID: 27330003

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Human Papillomavirus and Oropharyngeal Cancer.
Tanaka TI, Alawi F
Dent Clin North Am 2018 Jan;62(1):111-120. Epub 2017 Oct 7 doi: 10.1016/j.cden.2017.08.008. PMID: 29126488
Human papillomavirus and tonsillar and base of tongue cancer.
Ramqvist T, Grün N, Dalianis T
Viruses 2015 Mar 20;7(3):1332-43. doi: 10.3390/v7031332. PMID: 25803099Free PMC Article
Human papillomaviruses and cancer.
Haedicke J, Iftner T
Radiother Oncol 2013 Sep;108(3):397-402. Epub 2013 Jul 3 doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2013.06.004. PMID: 23830197
Oral cavity and oropharynx tumors.
Stambuk HE, Karimi S, Lee N, Patel SG
Radiol Clin North Am 2007 Jan;45(1):1-20. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2006.10.010. PMID: 17157621
Tonsil cancer.
Bopp FP, White JA
J La State Med Soc 1989 Apr;141(4):11-4. PMID: 2656893

Diagnosis

Tonsillar carcinoma.
Ulloa-Ortiz Ó, Martínez-Fernández P, Rivera-Silva G
Med Clin (Barc) 2020 Dec 11;155(11):517. Epub 2019 Nov 20 doi: 10.1016/j.medcli.2019.09.004. PMID: 31759692
Human Papillomavirus and Oropharyngeal Cancer.
Tanaka TI, Alawi F
Dent Clin North Am 2018 Jan;62(1):111-120. Epub 2017 Oct 7 doi: 10.1016/j.cden.2017.08.008. PMID: 29126488
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Wenig BM
Ann Diagn Pathol 1999 Dec;3(6):374-85. doi: 10.1016/s1092-9134(99)80017-3. PMID: 10594290
Tonsillar carcinoma.
Guay ME, Lavertu P
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 1995;252(5):259-64. doi: 10.1007/BF00185386. PMID: 7576581
Tonsil cancer.
Bopp FP, White JA
J La State Med Soc 1989 Apr;141(4):11-4. PMID: 2656893

Therapy

Prognostic Markers and Driver Genes and Options for Targeted Therapy in Human-Papillomavirus-Positive Tonsillar and Base-of-Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Näsman A, Holzhauser S, Kostopoulou ON, Zupancic M, Ährlund-Richter A, Du J, Dalianis T
Viruses 2021 May 14;13(5) doi: 10.3390/v13050910. PMID: 34069114Free PMC Article
Radiotherapy versus transoral robotic surgery and neck dissection for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (ORATOR): an open-label, phase 2, randomised trial.
Nichols AC, Theurer J, Prisman E, Read N, Berthelet E, Tran E, Fung K, de Almeida JR, Bayley A, Goldstein DP, Hier M, Sultanem K, Richardson K, Mlynarek A, Krishnan S, Le H, Yoo J, MacNeil SD, Winquist E, Hammond JA, Venkatesan V, Kuruvilla S, Warner A, Mitchell S, Chen J, Corsten M, Johnson-Obaseki S, Eapen L, Odell M, Parker C, Wehrli B, Kwan K, Palma DA
Lancet Oncol 2019 Oct;20(10):1349-1359. Epub 2019 Aug 12 doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30410-3. PMID: 31416685
Accidental barium bronchography.
Zaheen A, Stanbrook MB
CMAJ 2017 May 8;189(18):E670. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.160969. PMID: 28483848Free PMC Article
Tonsillar Helicobacter pylori colonization in chronic tonsillitis: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Hwang MS, Forman SN, Kanter JA, Friedman M
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2015 Mar;141(3):245-9. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2014.3296. PMID: 25541915
P21 Cip1/WAF1 expression is strongly associated with HPV-positive tonsillar carcinoma and a favorable prognosis.
Hafkamp HC, Mooren JJ, Claessen SM, Klingenberg B, Voogd AC, Bot FJ, Klussmann JP, Hopman AH, Manni JJ, Kremer B, Ramaekers FC, Speel EJ
Mod Pathol 2009 May;22(5):686-98. Epub 2009 Mar 20 doi: 10.1038/modpathol.2009.23. PMID: 19305381

Prognosis

Human Papillomavirus and Potentially Relevant Biomarkers in Tonsillar and Base of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Näsman A, Bersani C, Lindquist D, Du J, Ramqvist T, Dalianis T
Anticancer Res 2017 Oct;37(10):5319-5328. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.11958. PMID: 28982840
Human papillomavirus and tonsillar and base of tongue cancer.
Ramqvist T, Grün N, Dalianis T
Viruses 2015 Mar 20;7(3):1332-43. doi: 10.3390/v7031332. PMID: 25803099Free PMC Article
P21 Cip1/WAF1 expression is strongly associated with HPV-positive tonsillar carcinoma and a favorable prognosis.
Hafkamp HC, Mooren JJ, Claessen SM, Klingenberg B, Voogd AC, Bot FJ, Klussmann JP, Hopman AH, Manni JJ, Kremer B, Ramaekers FC, Speel EJ
Mod Pathol 2009 May;22(5):686-98. Epub 2009 Mar 20 doi: 10.1038/modpathol.2009.23. PMID: 19305381
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Wenig BM
Ann Diagn Pathol 1999 Dec;3(6):374-85. doi: 10.1016/s1092-9134(99)80017-3. PMID: 10594290
Tonsillar carcinoma.
Guay ME, Lavertu P
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 1995;252(5):259-64. doi: 10.1007/BF00185386. PMID: 7576581

Clinical prediction guides

Prognostic Markers and Driver Genes and Options for Targeted Therapy in Human-Papillomavirus-Positive Tonsillar and Base-of-Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Näsman A, Holzhauser S, Kostopoulou ON, Zupancic M, Ährlund-Richter A, Du J, Dalianis T
Viruses 2021 May 14;13(5) doi: 10.3390/v13050910. PMID: 34069114Free PMC Article
Radiotherapy versus transoral robotic surgery and neck dissection for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (ORATOR): an open-label, phase 2, randomised trial.
Nichols AC, Theurer J, Prisman E, Read N, Berthelet E, Tran E, Fung K, de Almeida JR, Bayley A, Goldstein DP, Hier M, Sultanem K, Richardson K, Mlynarek A, Krishnan S, Le H, Yoo J, MacNeil SD, Winquist E, Hammond JA, Venkatesan V, Kuruvilla S, Warner A, Mitchell S, Chen J, Corsten M, Johnson-Obaseki S, Eapen L, Odell M, Parker C, Wehrli B, Kwan K, Palma DA
Lancet Oncol 2019 Oct;20(10):1349-1359. Epub 2019 Aug 12 doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30410-3. PMID: 31416685
Human Papillomavirus and Potentially Relevant Biomarkers in Tonsillar and Base of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Näsman A, Bersani C, Lindquist D, Du J, Ramqvist T, Dalianis T
Anticancer Res 2017 Oct;37(10):5319-5328. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.11958. PMID: 28982840
HPV Integration in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Cause and Consequence.
Speel EJ
Recent Results Cancer Res 2017;206:57-72. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-43580-0_4. PMID: 27699529
Human papillomavirus and tonsillar and base of tongue cancer.
Ramqvist T, Grün N, Dalianis T
Viruses 2015 Mar 20;7(3):1332-43. doi: 10.3390/v7031332. PMID: 25803099Free PMC Article

Recent systematic reviews

Tonsillectomy as Prevention of Tonsil and Base of Tongue Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on the Immuno-Oncological Effect of One Among the Most Common Surgeries in the World.
Virgilio E, Bonfili D, Bettoni S, Vona L, Mercuri J, D'Agostino F, Baldinu M, Salvemini C, Montali F, Costi R
Anticancer Res 2023 Sep;43(9):3881-3889. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.16575. PMID: 37648322
Tonsillar Helicobacter pylori colonization in chronic tonsillitis: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Hwang MS, Forman SN, Kanter JA, Friedman M
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2015 Mar;141(3):245-9. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2014.3296. PMID: 25541915
Prevalence of human papillomavirus in head and neck cancers in European populations: a meta-analysis.
Abogunrin S, Di Tanna GL, Keeping S, Carroll S, Iheanacho I
BMC Cancer 2014 Dec 17;14:968. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-968. PMID: 25515630Free PMC Article
Human papillomavirus related head and neck cancer survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
O'Rorke MA, Ellison MV, Murray LJ, Moran M, James J, Anderson LA
Oral Oncol 2012 Dec;48(12):1191-201. Epub 2012 Jul 28 doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2012.06.019. PMID: 22841677
Human papillomavirus and head and neck cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Hobbs CG, Sterne JA, Bailey M, Heyderman RS, Birchall MA, Thomas SJ
Clin Otolaryngol 2006 Aug;31(4):259-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-4486.2006.01246.x. PMID: 16911640

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