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Current Management of Head and Neck Paragangliomas: A Multicenter Series With Long-Term Follow-Up
Cristina Lamas1,2, Beatriz Febrero3,4, Anna Casteràs5
1Endocrinology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Albacete, Spain.
Summary
Head and neck paragangliomas (HN-PGL) are typically slow-growing tumors with high long-term survival rates, even with metastasis. Surgery, radiotherapy, and active surveillance are safe treatment options for HN-PGL.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Head and neck paragangliomas (HN-PGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumors.
- Understanding their clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinical characteristics of HN-PGL patients in the Spanish Registry.
- To evaluate treatment modalities and their outcomes in HN-PGL.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 202 patients with 264 HN-PGL from 16 Spanish hospitals.
- Inclusion of clinical data, tumor characteristics, genetic studies, treatment modalities, and follow-up outcomes.
Main Results:
- HN-PGL commonly occur in the carotid body (61%).
- SDHx gene variants were found in 50% of genetically studied patients, associated with younger age and metastatic disease.
- Surgery, radiotherapy, and active surveillance showed similar sequelae rates; long-term survival was high (6.9% mortality).
Conclusions:
- Most HN-PGL are slow-growing tumors with favorable long-term survival, even in metastatic cases.
- Surgery remains the primary treatment, but radiotherapy and active surveillance are effective and safe alternatives.
- No prognostic factor for progression was identified.
