Tumor mapping: new rationales, adjusted techniques, expanded applications

Eleven consecutive patients with cancers of the oropharynx (4), hypopharynx (4), and oral cavity (3) were endoscoped and "tumor mapped" with a modified tattoo solution before beginning non-surgical antineoplastic therapy. The tattooed outlines were clearly visible at 7 weeks (5 patients after induction chemotherapy); at 14 weeks (2 patients after induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy); and between 12 and 16 weeks (4 patients after radiotherapy). The "tumor mapping" aided both the establishment of appropriate resection margins in cancers that had diminished in response to non-surgical therapy and the recognition of a tumor's lack of response to nonsurgical antineoplastic treatment.