Management of postradiation late hemorrhage following treatment for HPV‐positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Management of postradiation late hemorrhage following treatment for HPV‐positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma Via Head & Neck Abstract Background Acute oropharyngeal hemorrhage is a serious complication for patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), particularly in patients with a history of radiation therapy (RT). Methods Retrospective case series from at a tertiary care center for treated patients with HPV-positive OPSCC presenting with oropharyngeal hemorrhage. Results Median time from completion of chemoradiation to first hemorrhagic event was 186 days (range 66–1466 days). Seven patients (58%) required intervention to secure their airway. All patients were evaluated for endovascular intervention, six (50%) were embolized. Eight patients (67%) had a second hemorrhagic event; median time to second bleed was 22 days (range 3–90 days). Conclusions Acute oropharyngeal hemorrhage is a sequelae following treatment for HPV-positive OPSCC. The majority of bleeds occurred within a year of completion of treatment. While more research is needed to determine optimal treatment paradigms, endovascular intervention should be considered, even if noninvasive imaging does not demonstrate active bleeding. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.