85 yo man for excision of large fungating SCC from face
Background
Nursing home resident – lived alone on a farm until recently. Entered nursing home post-cataract surgery as found to be not coping at home
Dementia
Prostate cancer
CABG 1997. No follow-up. Asymptomatic but doesn’t exercise much
DASI 3.9
Issues
- Very frail
- Large resection – PET scan shows invasion into skull bone and numerous surrounding structures. Lymph node involvement, no distant mets
- Systolic Murmur
- Functional capacity very difficult to ascertain
Discussion:
- Surgical plan – palliative vs curative surgery and radiotherapy.
- Curative surgery – Resectable but involves all inferotemporal fossa and teeth, will need neck dissection and free flap. May require exenteration of eye especially for curative intent. Long operation 8+ hours
- Palliative – will still require significant surgery and skin graft
- Surgeons feel curative us preferable for this patient. Likely die from maxillary artery bleed if cancer erodes into artery.
- Has a mediastinal node – awaiting Endobronchial US guided biopsy in 4-6 weeks to determine if metastatic disease. IF metastatic, then not for surgery.
- Family – further discussion required. Family discussion in clinic highlighted that patient will unlikely return to baseline. Patient and family were hoping that current nursing home admission was temporary.
- Stress imaging – unlikely to change management
- Echocardiogram – no evidence of heart failure but has a murmur. Could consider a BNP to give an indication of the contribution of valvopathy as has been recommended by cardiolgy in the past.
- Post-operative delirium – very high risk given dementia.
- No baseline cognitive assessment. No regular GP