Head and Neck Low Grade Chondrosarcoma-A Rare Entity.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Head and Neck Surgery

Background:

• Chondrosarcoma is a rare head and neck neoplasm (0.1% of cases) with a generally good prognosis (70-80% 5-year OS).
• Low-grade chondrosarcomas have a slow growth rate and specific management challenges.

Observation:

• A 30-year-old presented with insidious dysphagia, neck mass, and dysphonia post-infection.
• Diagnosis revealed a low-grade chondrosarcoma in the glosso-epiglottic region.
• Treatment involved surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy using older technology without image guidance.

Findings:

• Aggressive adjuvant therapy was initially chosen due to unclear resection margins.
• The patient had no recurrence but experienced potential complications like aspiration pneumonia.
• Balancing recurrence risk against treatment adverse events (AE) is crucial for low-grade tumors.

Implications:

• Conformal radiotherapy and omitting elective neck irradiation are recommended to minimize toxicity in long-term survivors.
• Lack of specific guidelines for rare tumors necessitates reliance on case reports for optimal therapeutic ratios.
• Personalized treatment strategies are essential for head and neck chondrosarcoma.