Tracheostomal recurrence in oral squamous cell carcinoma: a case report and literature review.
C-H Wu, Z-Y Su, Y-H Kuo et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A 61-year-old man with advanced right retromolar trigone squamous cell carcinoma underwent mandibulectomy, neck dissection, and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Five months later, squamous cell carcinoma recurred at the prior tracheostomy site. He received wide excision with pectoralis major myocutaneous flap reconstruction and systemic therapy including nivolumab. At five years of follow-up, he remained disease-free and maintained daily activities.
What made this case unusual
Despite the typically poor prognosis described for tracheostomal recurrence, this patient achieved long-term disease-free survival after multimodal salvage therapy.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
A prior tracheostomy site can be a site of recurrence in oral squamous cell carcinoma; surveillance should include attention to the stoma, and a suspicious lesion warrants assessment.
Why it matters
The case illustrates that prolonged disease-free survival may be possible after aggressive salvage treatment, including surgery and systemic therapy, in this setting.