Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma metastasis to the parotid region lymph nodes

To determine the effect on survival of periauricular region cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCC) metastasizing to parotid region and cervical lymph nodes.

From May 1995 to October 2013, consecutive patients with cSCC undergoing parotidectomy/neck dissection ≥ 18 years without distant metastasis were included. Demographic, clinical, and pathologic data were analyzed. Uni- and multivariate analyses of disease-specific survival and overall survival were performed. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

We evaluated 137 patients. Most patients were Caucasian males with an average age of 71.6 years. The median follow-up time was 29.4 months. Thirty-six percent of patients had pathological evidence of cervical metastasis (N+). Seven percent had metastasis to level I, 21.9% to level II, 14.6% to level III, 8% to level IV, and 9.5% to level V. Thirty-nine percent of patients had metastasis to parotid region (P+). The average number of positive:total nodes from parotidectomy was 1.9:4.6. The median overall and disease-specific survival times were 2.81 and 1.96 years, respectively. Patients with either neck or parotid metastasis (N + or P+) had significantly decreased survival, hazard ratio 2.298 (1.2739, 4.1445), compared to patients without metastasis (N0P0), P < 0.0057.

Patients with periauricular region cSCC metastasizing to parotid and cervical regions lymph nodes have significantly decreased survival compared with patients without cervical and/or parotid metastasis. Metastasis to parotid region should be considered as a distinct head and neck level when staging periauricular cancers. This study provides a basis for further studies to validate these findings.

4 Laryngoscope, 129:1579-1586, 2019.