Sinonasal squamous cell carcinomas: clinical outcomes and predictive factors

Abstract

This was a retrospective study of 33 patients treated for sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma between 1995 and 2008. Epidemiological, clinical, histological, and therapeutic aspects of this series of patients were analysed, and their impacts on overall survival and disease-free survival established using the Kaplan-Meier method. A search for prognostic factors was made using a log-rank test. There were 27 men. The average age at diagnosis was 64.7 years. Tobacco-smoking was found to be a risk factor in 24 patients (72.7%). The median follow-up was 66 months (range 0-99 months). Tumours were classified as T1 in 18.3%, T2 in 27.3%, T3 in 6%, and T4 in 48.5% of cases. Disease-free survival rates at 1 and 5 years were 58.5% and 46.1%, respectively, and overall survival rates were 70.3% and 40%, respectively. Overall survival was correlated to tumour status (TNM, American Joint Committee on Cancer) (P = 0.010) and involvement of key structures (skull base, dura mater, brain, orbit, cavernous sinus, infratemporal fossa, skin) (P = 0.049). Surgery followed by radiotherapy improved overall survival (P = 0.005) and disease-free survival (P = 0.028) when compared to other treatment modalities. When compared to surgery alone, it improved disease-free survival (P = 0.049) regardless of tumour stage.

Keywords: radiotherapy; sinus carcinoma; surgery.