Case Report

Successful Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer Involving the Prevertebral Fascia

Authors: Federico Ampil, MD, Glenn Mills, MD, Gary Burton, MD, Anil Malik, MD, R Murty Krishnamsetty, MD

Abstract

Chemotherapy with radiation has become more popular than radiotherapy alone for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer because of the successful results associated with it. We report the case of a 67-year-old man with hypopharyngeal cancer invading the prevertebral fascia who became free of disease after chemoradiation. This uncommon, positive observation supports the impression that combined therapy is efficacious in some patients with advanced stage carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract.


Key Points


* Head and neck cancer involving the prevertebral fascia does not occur frequently, and usually signifies inoperable disease.


* Significant resolution of a similar kind of voluminous malignant tumor was observed in our patient, who was treated with chemoradiation.


* The positive effects of combined treatment in individuals with carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract and affected prevertebral fascia have not been widely reported.

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References

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