Long-term survival in a patient with metastatic oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma to liver

The traditionally held view is that the patients with metastatic disease cannot be cured and should be treated palliatively as it was believed that the patients will eventually succumb to the disease progression due to lack of effective treatments for systemic disease. In this article, we report our experience in a patient who was diagnosed with metastatic oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma to the liver, who has now survived five years since the original diagnosis, and is three years disease free. This case report illustrates the curative potential in selected patients with limited burden of metastatic disease with aggressive local therapy to all known sites of disease. It underscores the importance of imaging modalities in monitoring progression of disease, and most importantly illustrates the importance of multidisciplinary care for oncology patients.