Scholars@Duke
Walter T Lee

Walter T Lee

Professor of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences
Head & Neck Surgical Oncology
walter.lee@duke.edu
Duke South Yellow Zone 4000, DUMC Box 3805, Durham, NC 27710
40 Medicine Circle, DUMC Box 3805, Durham, NC 27710

Featured Works

Immunotherapy using allogeneic squamous cell tumor-dendritic cell fusion hybrids.

Journal article Head Neck · September 2010 Featured Publication BACKGROUND: Tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are known to be immunotherapy targets; thus tumor-sharing TAA may be used as a fusion hybrid partner to confer protection against subsequent tumor challenge. METHODS: The squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), SCCVII ... Full text Link to item Cite

Toll-like receptor agonists as third signals for dendritic cell-tumor fusion vaccines.

Journal article Head Neck · June 2010 Featured Publication BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of dendritic cell (DC)-tumor fusion hybrids with Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. METHODS: DC-tumor fusion hybrids were generated by electrofusion and injected into the ing ... Full text Link to item Cite

HPV status-independent association of alcohol and tobacco exposure or prior radiation therapy with promoter methylation of FUSSEL18, EBF3, IRX1, and SEPT9, but not SLC5A8, in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

Journal article Genes Chromosomes Cancer · April 2010 Featured Publication Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an aggressive malignancy with more than half a million people being diagnosed with the disease annually. Within the last 2 decades, the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be associated with this ma ... Full text Link to item Cite

Extent of neck dissection required after concurrent chemoradiation for stage IV head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Journal article Head Neck · March 2010 Featured Publication BACKGROUND: The management of initially bulky nodal disease after primary nonsurgical treatment for stage IV head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) continues to be a subject of debate. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of neck management in pati ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of preepiglottic space tumor involvement on concurrent chemoradiation therapy.

Journal article Am J Otolaryngol · 2010 Featured Publication PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to determine the prognostic impact of preepiglottic space (PES) involvement on local failure after concurrent chemoradiation therapy for squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective chart review of patient ... Full text Link to item Cite

Laryngeal transplantation in the setting of cancer: a rat model.

Journal article Laryngoscope · December 2008 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE: Traditional immunosuppressive regimens make laryngeal transplantation in cancer patients prohibitive because of the increased risk of recurrence. Everolimus, a recently developed immunosuppressant, has demonstrated significant antitumor properti ... Full text Link to item Cite

Use of in situ hybridization to detect human papillomavirus in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients without a history of alcohol or tobacco use.

Journal article Arch Pathol Lab Med · October 2008 Featured Publication CONTEXT: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is commonly associated with tobacco and alcohol use. There are, however, a group of patients without a significant history of tobacco or alcohol use, and the etiology of these tumors is incompletely understood ... Full text Link to item Cite

Paired Toll-like receptor agonists enhance vaccine therapy through induction of interleukin-12.

Journal article Cancer Res · June 1, 2008 Featured Publication Minimal requirements for generating effective immunity include the delivery of antigenic (signal 1) and costimulatory (signal 2) signals to T lymphocytes. Recently, a class of third signals, often delivered by antigen-presenting dendritic cells, has been s ... Full text Link to item Cite

Immunotherapy of established murine squamous cell carcinoma using fused dendritic-tumor cell hybrids.

Journal article Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · June 2008 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of fused dendritic-tumor cell hybrids against murine squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). DESIGN: Squamous cell carcinoma VII is a poorly immunogenic murine SCC tumor in C3H/HEN (H-2(K)) mice. Subdermal tumors w ... Full text Link to item Cite

Lateral lamella of the cribriform plate: software-enabled computed tomographic analysis and its clinical relevance in skull base surgery.

Journal article Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · March 2008 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE: To describe a quantitative analysis of the lateral lamella of the cribriform plate (LLCP) height in computed tomographic (CT) images. The LLCP is the thinnest anatomic structure in the skull base. DESIGN: Software-enabled CT scan measurements. S ... Full text Link to item Cite

Ansa cervicalis-to-recurrent laryngeal nerve anastomosis for unilateral vocal fold paralysis: experience of a single institution.

Journal article Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol · January 2008 Featured Publication OBJECTIVES: One treatment option for unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) is ansa cervicalis-to-recurrent laryngeal nerve (ansa-RLN) anastomosis to provide reinnervation to the affected vocal fold. The advantages of this treatment approach are that it 1) ... Full text Link to item Cite

Radiology quiz case 1. Tracheocele.

Other Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · September 2007 Featured Publication Full text Link to item Cite

Obstructing pyogenic granuloma as a result of blunt laryngeal trauma.

Journal article Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · March 2007 Featured Publication Full text Link to item Cite

Results of ansa to recurrent laryngeal nerve reinnervation.

Journal article Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · March 2007 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe the results of ansa cervicalis to recurrent laryngeal nerve (ansa-RLN) reinnervation for unilateral vocal fold paralysis. STUDY DESIGN: A chart review was performed on patients undergoing ansa-RLN reinnervation for unilater ... Full text Link to item Cite

Immunogenicity of dendritic-tumor fusion hybrids and their utility in cancer immunotherapy.

Journal article Crit Rev Immunol · 2007 Featured Publication Cancer immunotherapy using fusion hybrid cells generated from dendritic cells (DCs) and tumor cells may be more effective than other DC-based vaccines. DC-tumor fusion potentially confers not only the DCs' antigen-presenting functionality but also a contin ... Full text Link to item Cite

Comparison of frontal pneumatization patterns between Koreans and Caucasians.

Journal article Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · November 2006 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of specific frontal recess cells in Korean and Caucasian populations; to evaluate and compare the relationship between anterior skull base length and frontal recess pneumatization in these two populations. MATERIALS AN ... Full text Link to item Cite

Risk factors for hypopharyngeal/upper esophageal stricture formation after concurrent chemoradiation.

Journal article Head Neck · September 2006 Featured Publication BACKGROUND: Concurrent chemoradiation therapy has been demonstrated to be effective as an organ-sparing treatment for select advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, this treatment modality is not without side effects. One side effe ... Full text Link to item Cite

Acute external laryngotracheal trauma: diagnosis and management.

Journal article Ear Nose Throat J · March 2006 Featured Publication Laryngotracheal trauma may result in lifelong complications or even death if diagnosis or treatment is delayed. Emergency room physicians, trauma surgeons, anesthesiologists, and especially otolaryngologists should maintain a high level of awareness of and ... Link to item Cite

First case of laryngeal glomangiomyoma.

Journal article Laryngoscope · November 2005 Featured Publication Glomus tumors are derived from the normal glomus body, which is an arteriovenous confluence involved with thermoregulation. These true glomus tumors are different from the "glomus tumors" derived from the paraganglion system often encountered by the otolar ... Full text Link to item Cite

Tumor-dendritic cell fusion as a basis for cancer immunotherapy.

Journal article Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · May 2005 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE: To establish the basis for use of allogeneic dendritic-tumor fusion cells. STUDY DESIGN: Fusion cells were created by electrofusion. We used 2 allogeneic murine tumor lines (D5 and 4T1) that were virally transduced to express the antigen (beta-g ... Full text Link to item Cite

Laryngotracheal consequences of pediatric cardiac surgery.

Journal article Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · April 2005 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and character of clinically significant laryngotracheal anomalies in pediatric patients undergoing surgical repair of congenital cardiac defects at a tertiary care center. DESIGN: Single-center retrospective review. PA ... Full text Link to item Cite

Melanoma metastasis masquerading as bilateral acoustic neuromas.

Journal article Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · March 2005 Featured Publication Full text Link to item Cite

3D computed tomographic analysis of frontal recess anatomy in patients without frontal sinusitis.

Journal article Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · September 2004 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE: Describe frontal sinus pneumatization in patients with no history of frontal sinus disease. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: All 1-mm axial sinus CT scans performed from 2001 through 2003 were eligible for review on a CBYON Suite workstation (CBYON, Mo ... Full text Link to item Cite

Comparative analysis of antigen loading strategies of dendritic cells for tumor immunotherapy.

Journal article J Immunother · 2004 Featured Publication Dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with antigens can effectively stimulate host immune responses to syngeneic tumors, but there is considerable controversy as to which forms of antigen-loading are most immunogenic. Here, the authors compared immunotherapeutic re ... Full text Link to item Cite

Stepped-dose protocol of cidofovir therapy in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in children.

Journal article Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · August 2003 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a stepped-dose protocol for intralesional injection of cidofovir in children with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized case series. SETTING: Tertiary care children's hospital. PARTICIPANTS: E ... Full text Link to item Cite

Nasal deformity in neonates and young children.

Journal article Pediatr Clin North Am · April 2003 Featured Publication Pediatric nasal deformities comprise a broad range of congenital and acquired pathologies. The congenital deformities are rare and often require specific surgical interventions. The acquired deformities are more common, and in the majority of cases surgica ... Full text Link to item Cite

Indications for tracheotomy in the pediatric intensive care unit population: a pilot study.

Journal article Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · November 2002 Featured Publication OBJECTIVE: To define the indications for tracheotomy in patients requiring prolonged intubation (>1 week) in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). DESIGN: Retrospective chart review and follow-up telephone survey. SETTING: A tertiary care center PICU. ... Full text Link to item Cite