Post-radiation sarcoma of the neck treated with re-irradiation followed by wide excision.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Post-radiation sarcoma (PRS) is an uncommon disease manifesting as sarcoma in a previously irradiated field, usually with a latent period of 5 years or more. Literature is limited to small series. Optimal management of this disease is unclear. Positive margins are common following attempted curative surgery and outcomes are poor. Radiotherapy is hardly used and its effect on PRS is not known. We described a case of PRS treated with preoperative radiotherapy followed by margin-negative wide excision. CASE PRESENTATION: The 59-year-old patient presented with a mass in the left supraclavicular fossa and numbness in the arm, six years following radical irradiation of the head and nec..