Case Report: Post Cricoid Cancer, Ct4aN0M0 (Stage IVA)

Abstract

Post-cricoid squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncommon and aggressive hypopharyngeal malignancy that often manifests at an advanced stage due to ambiguous early signs. For two months, a 46-year-old female complained of constant throat pain. Endoscopy revealed a significant ulceroproliferative lesion in the post-cricoid region, and CT imaging showed circumferential thickening with expansion into the mediastinum and potential invasion of the thyroid cartilage. PET-CT staged the disease as CT4aN0M0, suggesting locally progressed malignancy without distant metastasis, and biopsy verified invasive SCC. Due to substantial airway constriction, an emergency tracheostomy was performed. The patient was treated with cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiation coupled with supportive treatments to maintain treatment tolerance. This case underlines the diagnostic problems, rapid advancement, and requirement for early clinical suspicion in post-cricoid.