Fibrosarcoma of the mandible following supravoltage irradiation. Report of a case.
Supravoltage irradiation is commonly thought not to be carcinogenic. Several recent studies question this concept, as does our case report. A 50-year-old woman with stage 1 squamous carcinoma of the left side of the tongue was treated in 1973 with 73 Gy of supravoltage irradiation. Twelve years later a painful, ulcerated lesion that eventually was shown to be fibrosarcoma developed in the contralateral mandible. The fibrosarcoma in this case fulfills all criteria for diagnosing radiation-induced neoplasia and demonstrates that supravoltage irradiation, like other forms of irradiation, can cause malignancy. The occasional occurrence of sarcoma should be recalled during follow-up of patients treated with supravoltage radiation. Similarly, the possibility of radiation-induced tumors should be considered in planning treatment for younger patients with tumors that can be treated equally well by surgery or irradiation.
Moloy
P J
PJ
Ear, Nose, and Throat Section, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Long Beach, Calif.
Kowal
K A
KA
Siegel
W M
WM
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy