Background: Advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa) of the oral cavity is often not amenable to curative-intent therapy due to tumor location, tumor size, or comorbidities. Case presentation: A 51-year-old male patient with human immunodeficiency virus and on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) presented with a cT4aN2c SCCa of the tongue. He received a preoperative single course of Quad-Shot radiation therapy to 14 Gy in 4 fractions followed by surgical resection. Patient had no residual carcinoma on surgical pathology and no evidence of disease on subsequent clinical and radiological exams. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first case of pathologic complete response for a patient on HAART following a single cycle of the Quad-Shot regimen for advanced oral cavity SCCa. Protease inhibitors in HAART can induce spontaneous tumor regression via inhibition of proteasome function and activation of apoptosis, and thus act as a cancer therapeutic. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
CITATION STYLE
Leming, A. B., Johnston, A. L., Krempl, G. A., Fowle, E. J., Morton, D. J., & Henson, C. E. (2022). Pathologic complete response following low-dose radiation for advanced oral cavity cancer in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus. Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, 51(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40463-022-00586-6
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