Interstitial radiation therapy for early-stage nasal vestibule cancer: A continuing quest for optimal tumor control and cosmesis

Conclusion: Excellent tumor control, cosmesis, and function of nasal airway passage can be achieved when HDR-IRT for T1/T2N0 NV cancers is used. For the more advanced cancers (Wang classification: T3 tumor stage), we elect to treat by local excision followed by a reconstructive procedure. The costs, admission to hospital inclusive, for treatment by HDR-IRT amounts to €5772 ($7044 US). This contrasts substantially with the full hospital costs when NV cancers are treated by plastic reconstructive surgery, being on average threefold as expensive.