Parotid gland metastasis from prostate cancer: is docetaxel still the best treatment option?

[Diagnostics and treatment of secondary malignancies of the parotid gland-An overview]

BACKGROUND

Secondary malignancies of the parotid gland frequently have a cutaneous origin and the incidence in central Europe is increasing.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review article was to present the epidemiology, (differential) diagnostics and treatment of secondary malignancies of the parotid gland.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A literature search of the current guidelines and evidence was carried out in the web-based databank PubMed.

RESULTS

The incidence of secondary malignancies of the parotid gland seems to be increasing in Europe, mainly due to a rising incidence of metastases of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. Except for malignant lymphomas, parotidectomy is the treatment of choice in the curative situation. In the absence of clear evidence, in the case of an intact facial nerve lateral or total parotidectomy with ipsilateral neck dissection seems to be indicated, depending on the entity of the secondary malignancy.

CONCLUSION

The differential diagnostics of squamous cell carcinoma (in) of the parotid gland can be complicated. When a squamous cell carcinoma of the parotid gland is diagnosed for the first time, a dermatological full body examination and a detailed medical history should be taken with respect to skin tumors of the head and neck region. In addition to surgical treatment of the parotid gland and neck, adjuvant radiotherapy is usually indicated.

Prostate cancer metastasis to the distal phalanx of the left hallux: The first confirmed case and literature review

Prostate cancer is one of the most common carcinomas in Asia, as well as all over the world. The vast majority of prostate cancer patients present with bone metastases, which mainly involve the axial bones, with pain as the most common symptom. The present study reports the first case of prostate cancer metastasis to the hallux in a 73-year-old man who presented with pain and a swollen phalanx of the left hallux. This symptom developed gradually over a period of several months and could not be improved with the common treatments. Due to a pathological fracture, amputation of the left phalanx was performed. Notably, the immunohistochemical examinations of the surgical sample demonstrated the presence of a metastatic lesion from prostate cancer. The present study describes an unusual presentation involving phalangeal metastasis in a prostate cancer patient, and a systematic review of reported cases of rare metastatic events in prostate cancer is also discussed.