Factors predicting survival for cancer of the ethmoid sinus

The aim of this study was to determine survival and prognostic factors for ethmoid sinus cancer.

From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database for the time period 1988-1998, all cases of ethmoid sinus malignancy were extracted. Demographic, staging, treatment, and survival data were computed. Survival analysis was conducted with the Kaplan-Meier method. Clinical factors influencing survival were determined with the Cox proportional hazards model.

After excluding patients with metastatic disease on presentation (8.9%) and patients with missing data for T stage, a total of 180 cases were identified. Average age was 60.2 years. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common tumor (27.8%), followed by adenocarcinoma (12.8%). Overall mean survival was 57 months (median, 38 months) with a 5-year survival of 40.3%. The percentage of patients presenting with T4 lesions was 45.6%, which had a notably lower mean survival of 38 months (median, 18 months). Only 2.3% of patients had positive nodal disease. Increasing age, T stage, and absence of radiation therapy predicted poorer survival in the multivariate model Adenocarcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, esthesioneuroblastoma, and melanoma showed more favorable survival than other tumor types.

T stage and tumor histology are the most important prognostic factors in ethmoid sinus carcinoma. Survival for T4 lesions is markedly worse than survivalfor T1-T3 lesions. Radiation therapy offers a survival benefit in ethmoid sinus malignancy.