Early primary head and neck cancers (stages I and II) and occult metastatic neck disease have caused debate regarding the choice between surgery and irradiation. The arguments for each are reviewed with a new consideration: the acceleration and/or induction of carotid atherosclerosis in irradiated patients. We present clinical case reports (n = 9), a retrospective clinical evaluation for the occurrence of carotid atherosclerosis in irradiated head and neck cancer patients (n = 57), and a comparison study of the extent and distribution of atherosclerosis in irradiated (n = 29) and nonirradiated head and neck cancer patients controlled for age, blood pressure, and tobacco use. The results show that carotid atherosclerosis is found in a wider anatomic distribution and to a greater extent in irradiated than in nonirradiated patients. We conclude that carotid atherosclerosis is induced and/or accelerated by neck irradiation. The implications as they relate to choice of treatment, to pretreatment evaluations, and to long-term follow-up are discussed.
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