[Surgical treatment of craniofacial recurrent carcinoma]

The patients with craniofacial recurrent cancers after the radiation, chemical and operative therapies were often not able to get effective treatment because their lesions involved in the nervous and vascular structure and the re-radiation therapy was not suitable or chemical therapy was not sensitive to the tumor as well. To improve their survival quality, prevent the fatal complication and prolong their life, the surgical treatment for them was advised.

Six patients were treated surgically. According to the lesion of extension and position, the different incisions were respectively made. The neoplasms of these patients were resected piece by piece because they usually involved in the important structures, such as the internal carotid artery and cavernous sinus. Then, local defect was repaired with different methods on basis of the individual condition. So, this type of operation could be called as non-defined operation.

The lesions in all 6 patients invaded the eye, meninges and encephala, skull base, cavernous sinus and other important structures. After surgical intervene, the patients were all more than one year survival except for one of the patients who died of serous bleeding with corrupted rupture of internal carotid artery. Three patients survived for 4, 5 and 12 years, respectively.

The craniofacial recurrent carcinomas in late stage could be resected by the non-defined operation, which could prolong the patients life and achieve the desired effect.