Esthesioneuroblastoma: a comparison of two treatment eras

This paper is a retrospective review of 30 patients with esthesioneuroblastoma, an uncommon malignancy of the upper nasal cavity, treated at a single institution from 1959 through 1986. Over the period of study, there has been a gradual evolution of treatment policy and technique with the introduction of craniofacial resections and complex field megavoltage radiation, as well as for Stage C disease, the addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy and surgery. The 25 patients with a 2 year minimum follow-up are divided into 2 groups depending upon treatment era to determine the impact of modern aggressive therapy upon treatment results. Two-year survival for Group I (1959-1975) was 70% as compared with 87% for Group II (1976-85). For Stage C disease, there was a definite improvement in survival in the later era (88% versus 50%), although relapses did not appear to be circumvented. Salvage therapy has an important role in prolonging survival in this disease.