Metastatic Clivus Chordoma: A Case of a Rare Tumor in a 29-Year-Old African American Male

In this study, we report a case of a late-stage clival chordoma in a 29-year-old African American male and the unfortunate linear progression course since his initial diagnosis. Upon his initial encounter in 2020, radiation therapy did not offer any promising curative outcome. He was initially treated with a combination treatment of partial resection, radiation, and proposed oral imatinib, none of which modified the natural history and progression of his illness. Instead, these methods were performed as palliative measures to reduce the current size of the tumors and decrease growth rates to minimize his pain. Social issues acted as a contributory risk factor in his prognosis and due to the patient's socioeconomic barriers, he was not able to continue seeking available radiotherapy, leading to disease exacerbation. Poor adherence was noted with his follow-up. The risks of being affected by this disease are likely multifactorial and more reports of such cases need to be added to bridge this gap in the current literature. In addition, there is a gap in the current study of reports of such tumors found in diverse racial groups and in patients who are in their first few decades of life. Novel treatment strategies were reviewed, and it is expected they could generate assertive treatment guidelines.