PROPER ROUTING HELPED THE PATIENT RECEIVE HIGH-TECH CARE ON TIME

As soon as a 60-year-old resident of a Chechen village felt discomfort in the area of his left maxillary sinus, he immediately turned to an ENT doctor at his place of residence and was prescribed conservative therapy. The treatment did not give the desired result, and the patient was sent to the nearest department of maxillofacial surgery, where he underwent magnetic resonance imaging. The study revealed a voluminous tumor spreading to the entire maxillary sinus with access to surrounding tissues. The doctors immediately suspected signs of a neoplasm and explained that they needed to consult an oncologist. The patient chose the P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute (MORI) – branch of the National Medical Research Radiological Centre (NMRRC) of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

At an oncological consultation at the federal center, the man was recommended to undergo induction chemotherapy as the first stage of treatment. After three courses, which the patient underwent satisfactorily, the doctors noted a partial clinical response. This means that the prescribed drug was able to affect the tumor, and it decreased in size. It was possible to move on.

“Head and neck diseases are characterized by high risks during surgery, because the pathological process occurs in close proximity to vital organs,” says Professor Andrey Polyakov, Head of the Head and Neck Microsurgery Department. “Therefore, we have resorted to a multicomponent treatment method, which is actively and effectively used in oncology today.” To prepare for surgery, the patient was prescribed an embolization session of blood vessels supplying the tumor, which was successfully performed in Department of Radiosurgical Methods of Diagnosis and Treatment.

“Here, the entire timing from contacting a local doctor to treatment at the Herzen Moscow State Medical Institute was set up competently. This allowed the patient to receive high—tech care on time, which is provided by federal centers in difficult cases,” said Andrey Rerberg, PhD, Head of the Department. “After our procedure, colleagues from the head and neck microsurgery department will remove the remnants of the tumor, and the patient can expect a long—term remission of the disease.”