Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nasal Vestibule: A Multi‐Centric Observational Cohort Study

Abstract

ObjectivesSquamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule (NV‐SCC) is a rare but challenging entity, due to the complex anatomy of the region. Consensus on the best treatment strategy is still lacking, as well as a dedicated staging system. Our aim was to analyze oncological outcomes of surgically treated patients and to investigate possible prognostic factors.MethodsWe performed a retrospective multi‐centric observational study including six Academic Hospitals over a 10‐year period, including only patients who underwent upfront surgery for primary NV‐SCC. Patients were staged according to all currently available staging systems. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to compute overall, disease‐free, and disease‐specific survival. Logistic regression models were used to correlate between survival outcomes and clinical and pathological variables.ResultsSeventy‐one patients with a median follow‐up of 38 months were included in the study. Partial and total rhinectomy were the most commonly performed procedures, respectively, in 49.3% and 25.4% of cases. Neck dissection was performed on 31% of patients, and 45.1% of them underwent adjuvant radiotherapy. Three years overall, disease‐specific and disease‐free survival were, respectively, 86.5%, 90.3%, and 74.2%. None of the currently available staging systems were able to effectively stratify survival outcomes. Factors predicting lower overall survival on multivariate analysis were age (p = 0.021) and perineural invasion (p = 0.059), whereas disease‐free survival was negatively affected by age (p = 0.033) and lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.019).ConclusionCurrently available staging systems cannot stratify prognosis for patients who underwent surgery for NV‐SCC.Level of Evidence4 Laryngoscope, 2023