A Rare Case of Hodgkin Lymphoma of the Maxillary Sinus

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is an uncommon B-cell malignant disease. It usually presents with mediastinal and/or laterocervical lymph node localization, while primary extranodal HL is a rare entity giving rise to diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. It rarely presents as just extranodal localization, so its presence within the maxillary sinus without any lymphadenopathy is exceptional. Given the rarity of this localization, there is no standard treatment for maxillary sinus HL. We present a case of a patient with extranodal HL of the right maxillary sinus treated with primary surgery followed by adjuvant sequential chemoradiation therapy.

Induction chemotherapy in head and neck cancer patients followed by concomitant docetaxel-based radiochemotherapy

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy has become the standard of care for patients with inoperable squamous cell head and neck carcinoma. More recently, induction chemotherapy has been adopted as an approach in the management of these patients. We report the results of a phase II trial associating induction chemotherapy and concomitant chemoradiotherapy in a series of patients with inoperable squamous cell head and neck cancer. Twenty-nine patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma ineligible for surgery were enrolled. Induction chemotherapy with docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) and cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) every 21 days was administered for two cycles. Radiotherapy followed the induction phase. During radiotherapy, docetaxel was administered weekly at the dose of 33 mg/m(2) . Primary end point of the study was feasibility of treatment. Six (18%) patients failed to conclude the treatment schedule. Although response rates in evaluable patients were very high (disease control rate >90%), toxicities were a matter of concern. The reported treatment schedule proved infeasible. However, some modifications in ancillary therapies aimed at exploiting its efficacy could make it practicable.