Open Access

Successful surgical management of a patient with osteoradionecrosis of the jaw with RET fusion‑positive advanced thyroid cancer: A case report

  • Authors:
    • Taku Kimura
    • Ken-Ichiro Sakata
    • Kazuhito Yoshikawa
    • Takeshi Munekata
    • Tatsuki Itagaki
    • Taku Maeda
    • Junichi Kanayama
    • Jun Sato
    • Aya Yanagawa Matsuda
    • Yoshimasa Kitagawa
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: May 29, 2025     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2025.12898
  • Article Number: 148
  • Copyright: © Kimura et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the jaw is a severe complication of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Extensive surgical resection has shown promising outcomes; however, patients' prognosis must be considered. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) generally has a favorable prognosis, whereas metastatic PTC is considered a refractory disease against conventional treatment. Recently, comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) has enabled clinicians to provide personalized medicine, offering patients with intractable disease further therapeutic options. The present case study reported on a patient with advanced PTC who developed ORN during lenvatinib treatment; extensive surgical treatment with submandibular dissection for ORN provided a favorable outcome. Pathological examination unexpectedly revealed PTC metastases in the dissected right submandibular gland. Postoperatively, the patient experienced worsening metastases to the lung and liver. CGP identified a CCDC6‑RET fusion, prompting selpercatinib treatment, which achieved a partial response. This report aims to emphasize that extensive surgical treatment for ORN should be considered, even in patients with advanced cancer, if the patients' condition is stable. In addition, submandibular dissection is warranted in selected patients, particularly when thyroid cancer exhibits an aggressive phenotype with occult metastases. Furthermore, this report highlights the importance of integrating personalized medicine in the management of advanced cancer cases and emphasizes the availability of genomic profiling to guide treatment decisions.
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August-2025
Volume 30 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Kimura T, Sakata K, Yoshikawa K, Munekata T, Itagaki T, Maeda T, Kanayama J, Sato J, Yanagawa Matsuda A, Kitagawa Y, Kitagawa Y, et al: Successful surgical management of a patient with osteoradionecrosis of the jaw with RET fusion‑positive advanced thyroid cancer: A case report. Exp Ther Med 30: 148, 2025.
APA
Kimura, T., Sakata, K., Yoshikawa, K., Munekata, T., Itagaki, T., Maeda, T. ... Kitagawa, Y. (2025). Successful surgical management of a patient with osteoradionecrosis of the jaw with RET fusion‑positive advanced thyroid cancer: A case report. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 30, 148. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2025.12898
MLA
Kimura, T., Sakata, K., Yoshikawa, K., Munekata, T., Itagaki, T., Maeda, T., Kanayama, J., Sato, J., Yanagawa Matsuda, A., Kitagawa, Y."Successful surgical management of a patient with osteoradionecrosis of the jaw with RET fusion‑positive advanced thyroid cancer: A case report". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 30.2 (2025): 148.
Chicago
Kimura, T., Sakata, K., Yoshikawa, K., Munekata, T., Itagaki, T., Maeda, T., Kanayama, J., Sato, J., Yanagawa Matsuda, A., Kitagawa, Y."Successful surgical management of a patient with osteoradionecrosis of the jaw with RET fusion‑positive advanced thyroid cancer: A case report". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 30, no. 2 (2025): 148. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2025.12898