Review of inbound medical tourism and legal details of obtaining a visa for treatment of head and neck cancer

• Published in: Head & neck Vol. 41; no. 8; pp. E125 - E132
• Main Authors: Young, Lauren K., Vimawala, Swar, Ahmad, Nadir, Kushnir, Vlad, Bonawitz, Steven C., Brody, Joshua D., Enriquez, Miriam L., Koshkareva, Yekaterina A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.08.2019; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma; Head & neck cancer; head and neck cancer; inbound medical tourism; Medical tourism; medical visa; Patients; Tourism; United States > US; head and neck cancer; inbound medical tourism; medical visa
• ISSN: 1043-3074; 1097-0347
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.25743

Background We aim to provide a review of inbound medical tourism and the legal process of obtaining a visa for medical/surgical treatment for the patients with head and neck cancer. Methods We reviewed current statistics and the medical and legal literature regarding inbound medical tourism and the process of obtaining a visa for patients traveling to the United States for medical treatment. To illustrate this process, we present a case of an advanced‐staged and disfiguring facial polymorphous high‐grade adenocarcinoma in a previously healthy 29‐year‐old woman from Liberia. Results This report provides a synopsis of available statistical data on inbound medical tourism and the legal aspects of obtaining a visa for patients seeking medical care from abroad. Conclusions Medical tourists traveling to the United States for treatment of head and neck pathologies face considerable barriers in obtaining prompt care, leading to a possible increased disease burden and difficulty in rendering oncologic treatment.