Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma is very rare and has a poor prognosis. Head and neck basaloid carcinomas were first reported by Wain1 in 1986, and to date only 200 cases of head and neck basaloid carcinomas have been reported, and most of these were investigated by retrospective examination of the patient's charts. Before Wain's report, these cases were classified as adenoid cystic carcinoma, small cell undifferentiated carcinoma, and poorly differentiated squamous carcinoma and were treated on a case by case basis ; thus, the prognosis of these patients should improve by accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
We report a case of the basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue that was diagnosed by preoperative biopsy. In this patient we were able to plan preoperative chemotherapy, radical resection of the tumor with a wider safety zone than usually used for ordinary squamous carcinoma, bilateral neck dissections, and post operative radiation. The patient has been free from tumor for 21 months. It is important for ENT doctors to be aware of this new category of malignant tumor to improve the prognosis of this malignancy.
