Radiation and chemotherapy with no excessive toxicity in a patient with human papillomavirus-related tonsillar cancer and porphyria cutanea tarda: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Background

Porphyria is a condition of cutaneous photosensitivity. It is unclear if radiotherapy (RT) is safe in patients with porphyria.

Methods

We report a patient case with uncontrolled porphyria cutanea tarda treated with chemoradiation for p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer. Given the scarcity of data on this subject, we also conducted a literature review on the topic of radiation in patients with porphyria.

Results

The patient in our study did not experience any unusual acute or late toxicity, despite receiving a high dose of cutaneous radiation. We also found the majority of the literature supports the safe use of therapeutic radiation in patients with porphyria.

Conclusion

In this patient, and in the majority of the literature, radiation seems safe in patients with porphyria; however, there are few reports on the subject in the literature, therefore, caution is warranted.

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