The use of radiation therapy in the definitive management of ameloblastic carcinoma: a case report.

Although rare, ameloblastic carcinoma (AC) is one of the most common malignant tumors occurring in the odontogenic epithelium. Evidenced-based medical guidelines for AC are not established because AC is a rare type of cancer. However, surgery for AC is the primary initial treatment modality. A few reports suggest that radiotherapy (RTx) is effective for AC; however, the tumor is generally considered to be radioresistant. Furthermore, if RTx is performed for AC, osteonecrosis may occur because most of the ACs arise from the jaw. Here, we report a case of an older patient with maxillary AC who had underlying medical problems and who received conventional RTx with good outcomes. Ten years after the treatment, no major adverse event accompanying irradiation, local recurrence, or metastasis was observed. We discuss the therapeutic effect and usefulness of RTx on AC. As indicated by our findings, RTx for AC may represent a definitive treatment strategy for patients with poor general conditions or those with tumors that cannot be resected completely.