title: A long-term survivor of leiomyosarcoma around the right side of the base of the skull: effective radiotherapy combined with intra-arterial chemotherapy.
abstract: We report a rare case of a leiomyosarcoma that developed around the right side of the base of the skull in a 51-year-old woman. The patient consulted our hospital complaining of pain in the right side of her neck and upper right arm in August 1994. A leiomyosarcoma, originating around the right side of the neck and base of the skull was diagnosed. Initially, surgery was planned, but invasion into the spinal canal was discovered. Curative resection of the leiomyosarcoma around the right side of the base of the skull was not possible. Therefore, external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) combined with intra-arterial chemotherapy and hyperthermia was employed. After the treatment, the tumor decreased in size to 45% of its initial volume, and, simultaneously, her symptoms completely disappeared. The patient initially remained clinically free of the disease, but showed reaggravations at the primary tumor site 3 years and 3 months, and 4 years and 11 months, after the first treatment. The reaggravations were treated with EBRT combined with intra-arterial chemotherapy. As a result, she survived for 5 years and 7 months after the first treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan. yoshima2@med.kawasaki-m.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ryoji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tokiya
authors.forename: Yoshinari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imajo
authors.forename: Eisaku
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yoden
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hiratsuka
authors.forename: Makito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobatake
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gyoten
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kajihara
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D017741:Survivors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed