How would you approach management of a large, fungating squamous cell carcinoma of the auricle if surgical management is not desired by the patient?
Consider a mass ~3 cm in width with 1 cm thickness located on the helix, with apparent cartilage invasion.
Would you treat with electrons or photons, and is there any role for pre-treatment MRI or elective pre-auricular nodal coverage?
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
For a tumor this size and with cartilage invasion, I would recommend starting with induction cemiplimab to best response (generally 4-6 cycles), followed by consolidative RT, generally electrons. Prior to starting the immunotherapy, I would stage the neck with a contrast CT scan, as tumors of this s...
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Community Practice
I recently approached an identical situation as suggested by Dr. @Pollock. There was enormous response facilitating radiotherapy. By the end of the cemiplimab, he looked decades younger and had totally clear skin. He had minor radiation dermatitis, far less than I had anticipated. Fung et al., ...
Comments
Radiation Oncologist at Rush University Medical Center What dose do you use- hypofractionation or convent...
Radiation Oncologist at University of Texas at Tyler Conventional dose and fractionation: 66 Gy at 2 Gy...
Radiation Oncologist at Cross Cancer Institute I agree with Dr. @Pollock's approach to starting i...
Radiation Oncologist at University of Texas at Tyler I would caution that cemiplimab does not replace s...
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Community Practice
At our center, after careful staging, we would consider enrollment in the Alpha Tau ReSTART trial. The tumor would have to be recurrent after some sort of previous treatment (surgery, radiation, immunotherapy, or other), and no larger than 7 cm. Squamous cell histology would be required. Treatment c...
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Community Practice
For imaging, MRI would be better than CT for assessment of the primary skin cancer and its involvement of the cartilage and local extension into the subdermis; these cancers can track into the EAC and places where visual assessment and palpation lack sensitivity. For my patient, I had a baseline stu...