Radiation therapy for nasal vestibule squamous cell carcinoma: a 40-year experience

We evaluated the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the nasal vestibule. Eighty-six patients were treated with radiotherapy (RT) and 13 patients received surgery and RT. The mean follow-up was: 9.7 years (range 4 months-35.9 years). The 5- and 10-year outcomes were: local control (LC), 88 and 82 %; local-regional control (LRC), 78 and 73 %; freedom from distant metastases (FFDM), 96 and 96 %; cause-specific survival (CSS), 91 and 86 %; and overall survival, 75 and 51 %. The 5- and 10-year LC rates for patients treated with RT were 94 and 89 % overall. A multivariate analysis was performed. Tumor size predicted LC, LRC, OS, and CSS. Overall stage predicted LRC. RT cures most patients with T1-T2 and favorable T4 SCCs with acceptable toxicity. RT and surgery result in improved likelihood of cure for patients with advanced T4 lesions.