Cancer of the ear: a report of 22 patients

The purpose of this report was to analyze cancer of the ear, with reference to its etiology, pathology and classification, by studying 22 patients who visited Kitasato University Hospital over a 26-year period. Patients with cancer of the ear comprised 0.98% of the 2,244 registered head and neck patients. Classifications reported in the literature were utilized to analyze the patient data. There was a significant difference in 5-year cumulative survival rates associated with cancers arising from the external auditory canal and the middle ear, as calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Tumor stage was also a significant predictor of prognosis. If cancer is suspected, early diagnosis is the key to improved prognosis.