This author interview is by Dr Huriye Şenay Kızıltan, of Bezmialem Vakif University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey.  Dr Kiziltan's full paper, Bilateral Carotid Paraganglioma: Surgery and Radiotherapy, is available for download in Clinical Medicine Insights: Case Reports.

Please summarise for readers the content of your article.
Paragangliomas are relatively rare vascular tumors that develop from the neural crest cells of carotid bifurcation. They are usually presented as slow growing painless unilateral neck mass; bilateral presentation is rare and mostly associated with familial form. Bilateral total resection is not always possible for high grade bilateral tumors and radiotherapy is a good alternative with cure rates similar to surgery.

How did you come to be involved in your area of study?
Because radiotherapy is generally believed to be ineffective in paraganglioma and bilateral paraganglioma cases usually can not be an effective treatment.

What was previously known about the topic of your article?
There was some information in the literature but now I've sought to analyze this information.

How has your work in this area advanced understanding of the topic?
I collected and analysed informational literature. For example: Octreotide scanning is useful test also for showing multicentric or metastatic paragangliomas. It may also distinguish scar from residual tumor after surgery. Recent literature showed that some paragangliomas have been as a result of germline mutations. Molecular studies revealed that six genes have been identified for germ line mutations of paraganglioma. These include RET, VHL,NF1 and SDH.  Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) subunits are SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD. SDHD and SDHB mutations are very important for head and neck paragangliomas. Initially, paragangliomas may not response to radiotherapy, but eventually these tumors get smaller in a time period of two years. Long-term cure rates are similar for surgery and radiotherapy. Kyrch et al. reported the tumor control results of radiotherapy (EBRT and SRS methods) in a follow-up period of 10 years; tumor control was 92%.

What do you regard as being the most important aspect of the results reported in the article?
Initially, paragangliomas may not respond to radiotherapy, but eventually these tumors get smaller over a time period of two years. Long-term cure rates are similar for surgery and radiotherapy. The tumor control was up to 90% for radiotherapy (EBRT and SRS methods) in a follow-up period of ten years.

http://www.bezmialem.edu.tr/en/academic-units/faculties/faculty-of-medicine