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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

A Model for Perineural Invasion in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: January 5, 2017
Residual or recurrent head and neck cancer presenting with nerve root compression affecting the upper limbs
R L Mendes1, C M Nutting, K J Harrington
1Head and Neck Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, 203 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK.
Abstract:
Nerve root and spinal cord compression are oncological emergencies that require early detection and prompt management. These phenomena are most frequently diagnosed in patients with haematogenous metastases from lung, breast and prostate cancers and are rarely seen in patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (SCCHN). SCCHN tends to spread by direct extension and lymphatic metastasis, with haematogenous dissemination occurring late in the natural history of the disease. In this paper, we report three patients with residual or relapsed SCCHN who presented with symptoms and signs of nerve root compression affecting the upper limbs caused by locoregional lymphatic spread of disease.
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