Radiotherapy for chemodectoma of the carotid body and ganglion nodosum.

Chemodectomas of the carotid body and of the glomus vagale are uncommon tumors of the head and neck. Between 1981 and 1986, 6 patients with advanced chemodectomas of either the carotid body (5 patients) or the glomus vagale (1 patient) were treated with radiotherapy at the University of Florida. Tumors were bilateral in 2 patients. Five patients have had no evidence of disease progression for 5, 5.5, 7, 7, and 8.5 years following irradiation. One of the 5 patients experienced complete regression, 2 noted partial regression, and 2 remained stable (without progression). One patient, who had received 2 prior operations and a course of irradiation at another institution, died of locally recurrent disease 5 years after re-irradiation at the University of Florida. No patient experienced a significant complication secondary to irradiation.