2016 Volume 67 Issue 4 Pages 264-271
After the approval of cetuximab for the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) in Japan in 2012, the number of patients who have received bioradiotherapy (BRT) using cetuximab has been increasing. Because BRT is expected to have less adverse effects compared to platinum-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT), salvage surgeries after BRT are thought to be safer and easier. However, salvage surgeries after BRT for HNC have rarely been reported and have not been well discussed.
We have performed salvage surgeries after BRT on 3 HNC patients. One had a local recurrence of hypopharyngeal cancer and underwent a total pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy and right neck dissection. Another had lymph node relapses and underwent left neck dissection, and the third had a local recurrence of laryngeal cancer and underwent a total laryngectomy and right neck dissection. This third case showed severe fibrosis and impaired blood flow, ultimately resulting in an infection and delayed healing of the wound. Although it is difficult to draw any conclusion from only 3 cases, our cases suggested that salvage surgery after BRT should be performed in a manner as prudent as that after CRT.
