No abstract

Background The placement of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes is a common procedure in patients with head and neck cancer who require adequate nutrition because of the inability to swallow before or after surgery and adjuvant therapies. A potential complication of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes is the metastatic spread from the original head and neck tumor to the gastrostomy site. Methods This is a case of a 55-year-old male with a (cT4N3M0) stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx who underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement prior to commencement of definitive chemoradiation therapy and 7 months thereafter developed metastatic spread to the gastrostomy site. Tumor was treated with radiation therapy. A review of the published literature regarding the subject is done. The pull-through method of gastrostomy tube placement had been used in our patient as well as in the majority of the other cases reviewed in the literature. Conclusions There is a small but definite risk for tumor implantation in the gastrostomy site when using the pull technique in patients with active head and neck cancer. The direct implantation of tumor through instrumentation is the most likely explanation for metastasis; however, hematogenous seeding is also a possibility. Careful assessment of the oropharynx and hypopharynx before PEG tube placement and the use of alternative techniques for enteral access in patients with untreated or residual malignancy are recommended to minimize this risk.