Complete Response to Adjuvant Full Dose Photons Megavoltage Radiotherapy of Giant Cell Tumor of the Temporal Bone

Abstract

Giant cell tumors (GCTs) of the skull bones are extremely rare and can be very aggressive. The tumor location and the frequent associated local infiltration did not allow adequate surgical treatment. However, with modern microsurgery techniques, a more complete removal of tumor may be possible. Nevertheless, postoperative radiation therapy appears to be the most effective tool in achieving local control of the tumor. We report a 30-year-old young male, treated initially for a GCT of the right temporal bone with surgery alone, which presented nine months later. A local recurrence necessitated surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy using high energy photons without mixing with protons. The patient achieved a good outcome and local control for more than 12 months of follow-up, with good cosmetic result and without significant toxicity. The aim of our work is to demonstrate that 3D conformal radiation therapy using only photons of high energy is a safe and effective adjuvant treatment of GCT of the temporal bone, and therefore equivalent to proton therapy.




J Med Cases. 2010;1(2):64-67
doi: https://doi.org/10.4021/jmc15w