Radiation Oncology/Temporal Bone Tumor


 * Rare tumor, accounting for fewer than 0.2% of all tumors of the head and neck
 * Only 200 new cases of temporal bone cancer may be diagnosed each year across the United States
 * Cancers arising from skin of the pinna that spread to the temporal bone
 * Primary tumors of the external auditory canal (EAC), middle ear, mastoid, or petrous apex
 * Metastatic lesions to the temporal bone
 * Optimal surgery removes all of the cancer en bloc because positive margins are associated with poor survival rates
 * In the most extreme cases in which contraindications to surgery are serious, palliative radiation and chemotherapy may be offered
 * Literature supports a beneficial effect of postoperative radiation on survival:
 * Temporal bone and neck treated with 50-60 Gy for tumors staged T3 and T4
 * Radiation may also be indicated for smaller lesions