Ultrasound-guided Core Needle Biopsy of Advanced Hypopharyngeal Cancer

Advanced hypopharyngeal cancer is frequently diagnosed late and has a poor outcome. The diagnosis of hypopharyngeal cancer is usually based on the pathological examination of samples harvested by endoscopic approaches. In patients with compromised airway and submucosal tumor extension, the endoscopic approach of diagnosis is infeasible. Here, we explored an alternative diagnostic method of hypopharyngeal cancer using ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (USCB) in a patient who was not indicated for endoscopic and surgical interventions. The whole procedure was done smoothly with adequate tissue sampling for pathological diagnosis of hypopharyngeal cancer. Our experience suggests that USCB is an efficient, safe, and minimally invasive method that could be of much value in the diagnosis of advanced hypopharyngeal cancer. ? 2012.