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

Abstract

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. 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. 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. 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.