title: Spread of a pharyngeal cancer to the abdominal wall after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.
abstract: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is frequently used in patients with head and neck cancer to establish enteral access for feeding. Spread of head and neck cancer to the gastrostomy site is a rare but increasingly reported complication after percutaneous endoscopic placement. We report the 13th such case in the literature, occurring in a 51-year-old black man with squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx. The mode of tumor spread to the gastrostomy site remains debatable. Evidence exists for hematogenous dissemination and direct implantation. We think percutaneous endoscopic techniques for enteral access in this patient population are contraindicated, and we advocate a laparoscopic approach for gastrostomy placement.
authors.affiliation: Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, The Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Bhama
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000556:secondary*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications