Allostatic load (AL) is a multisystemic indicator of the cumulative “wear and tear” on the body caused by chronic stress. In oncology, high AL is associated with a poorer prognosis, a higher number of postoperative complications, and lower treatment tolerance. Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC)—due to frequent smoking, alcohol abuse, low socioeconomic status, and high psychological and functional burden—belong to a group particularly vulnerable to high AL; however, its role in this population remains poorly understood. This narrative review includes publications from 2015 to 2026 from the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus databases. We analyzed original studies, systematic reviews, and narrative reviews concerning AL in oncology, prehabilitation, and HNC. Additionally, we employed the snowballing method and included studies from key research groups. The results reveal a clear research gap—the lack of direct studies evaluating AL in HNC patients. In other cancers (breast, colorectal, lung), high AL is an independent risk factor for complications, longer hospital stays, and poorer survival. Multimodal prehabilitation (exercise, nutritional, and psychological support) shows potential for reducing AL, but no prospective studies evaluating this effect have been conducted in the HNC population. Assessment of AL may serve as a valuable tool for preoperative risk stratification and monitoring the effects of prehabilitation in patients with head and neck cancer. Prospective cohort and randomized trials are needed to integrate AL into precision medicine for this patient group.

Atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA-S) is among the significant causes of ischemic stroke. Current noninvasive imaging techniques

Introduction: The study analyses the occurrence and treatment outcomes of tumors of the major salivary glands in our patients.Material and methods: Between 2019 and March 2023, a total of 182 salivary gland surgeries were conducted at our clinic. Of these, 111 were on females aged 18 to 76 years, and 71 on males aged 18 to 82 years. Diagnosis comprised a medical history, otolaryngological physical examination, ultrasonography (USG), fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of tumor, laboratory tests (CBC, CRP), and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Results: Predominantly (176 patients), benign tumors and neoplasms were found in the parotid salivary gland. Histopathology most commonly revealed pleomorphic adenoma (PA, 74 cases) and Warthin’s tumor (WT, 70 cases). Other benign tumors and neoplasms made up only 18% of cases. Malignant neoplasms were only identified in the parotid salivary gland in 3.3% of cases; these were diagnosed as epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, acinic cell carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and ductal carcinoma.Conclusions: In our dataset, most patients with tumors of the major salivary glands were operated on at ages above 60 years. A low incidence of malignant tumors and a high incidence of WT of the large salivary glands were observed. The main postoperative complication was facial nerve paresis in 7.6% of cases.

Background: Head and neck cancers show marked regional and sex-specific heterogeneity, but long-term trends in laryngeal cancer (LC) and oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), particularly in relation to industrialized environments, remain insufficiently characterized. Methods: This population-based time-trend study analysed 95,423 LC and OPC cases’ (59,160 LC; 36,263 OPC) incidence and mortality data from the Polish National Cancer Registry (PNCR, 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2023). Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were analysed using log-linear regression with tests for parallelism and intersection, and multivariable models including year, sex and region. Results: In men, LC incidence and mortality declined significantly over time regions, whereas OPC incidence and mortality increased significantly. In women, LC incidence declined modestly, with less consistent mortality change, while OPC incidence and mortality increased steeply in both regions. For both sexes, the slopes of LC and OPC incidence and mortality trends differed significantly, and the corresponding curves crossed during the study period, indicating a shift in disease burden from LC to OPC. Across multiple comparisons, trends in the highly industrialized region and the rest of Poland were often parallel but vertically separated, with less favourable levels in the industrialized region. In multivariable models (R² > 0.90 for all), calendar year and male sex were independently associated with declining LC and rising OPC patterns, while residence in the highly industrialized region was associated with higher LC mortality and higher OPC incidence. Conclusions: Over 25 years, LC declined while OPC rose sharply, particularly among women. Regional differences were also observed, with a higher burden of selected outcomes in the highly industrialized region; however, these ecological associations should not be interpreted as evidence of a causal effect of industrialization or air pollution.