T4b Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Surgery Plus Radiotherapy May Contribute to Prolonged Survival.

PURPOSE

To determine oncologic outcomes for patients with T4b sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) treated with either surgery plus radiotherapy or definitive radiotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between January 1999 and December 2016, 85 patients with T4b SNSCC were analyzed retrospectively, there were 54 who received surgery plus radiotherapy (S + RT group) ± chemotherapy and 31 with definitive radiotherapy (RT group) ± chemotherapy. A 1: 2 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance clinical factors and match patients. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model were used to determine risk factors on survival outcomes.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 76.7 months. The cumulative rates of locoregional control (LRC), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) at 5 years for entire cohort were 44.6%, 33.1%, 38.8%, and 33.9% respectively. After PSM, a total of 50 patients in S + RT group and 25 patients in RT group were analyzed. The 5-year LRC, DMFS, CSS, and OS between S + RT and RT group were 58.6% versus 27.5% (p = 0.035), 42.8% versus 20.0% (p = 0.006), 50.3% versus 22.0% (p = 0.005), 44.5% veruss 20.0% (p = 0.004). The 5-year survival rates with orbital retention between groups were 32.7% and 15.0%, p = 0.080. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed non-surgical therapy (HR = 3.678, 95%CI 1.951-6.933) and invasion of cranial nerves (other than maxillary division of trigeminal nerves) (HR = 2.596, 95%CI 1.217-5.535) were associated with decreased OS.

CONCLUSION

The inclusion of surgery in the multimodal management of T4b SNSCC might confer a survival benefit. Further prospective studies comparing the oncologic outcomes of S + RT with RT are warranted.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3 Laryngoscope, 133:2222-2231, 2023.