Abstract:

Introduction: currently, chemoradiation therapy is widely used as the main method of specific treatment for locally advanced head and neck cancer. Previously it was believed that radiation damage of carotid arteries occurs only several years after treatment.

Material and methods: article presents two case reports of internal carotid artery stenosis which arose directly during the course of chemoradiation of head and neck malignant tumors. In the first case, patient K., 54 years old, had laryngeal cancer (stage III: T3N1M0), in the second case, patient M., 40 years old, had tongue cancer (stage I: T1N0M0).

Conlusion: article presents angiographically confirmed carotid artery stenosis arisen directly during chemoradiation and in early stages after its completion. The discussion presents data on the incidence of stenosing lesions of carotid arteries, cerebrovascular events among patients undergoing radiation therapy. It is necessary to draw attention of specialists to the problem of early stenosis of carotid arteries during radiation and chemoradiation therapy of head and neck tumors.