Previously, the treatment of carcinoma of the external auditory canal has mainly involved surgical resection. In order to enable organ preservation and to obtain cancer-free surgical margins, we introduced the use of superselective, intra-arterial, rapid infusion chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy to treat this condition.
We reviewed our patients' tumour stages, feeding arteries and clinical outcomes. Tumours were staged according to the Pittsburgh staging system. Chemotherapy was administered intra-arterially in the angiography suite via transfemoral catheterisation of the feeding arteries. Four patients underwent superselective, intra-arterial, rapid infusion chemo-radiotherapy. A complete response was obtained in all four patients. The overall toxic side effects were modest.
Superselective, intra-arterial, rapid infusion chemotherapy can be an effective, organ-preserving treatment for external auditory canal carcinoma, with a high cure rate.
