Squamous cell cancer of the nasal cavity: New insights and implications for diagnosis and treatment

Background. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the nasal cavity is a rare malignancy and often analyzed in heterogeneous studies with other tumors of the nose or the paranasal sinuses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate distinct risk factors, tumor characteristics, outcome predictors, and the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in SCC of the nasal cavity. Methods. We conducted a retrospective study of 39 patients treated at a single quaternary medical care and cancer center. We analyzed tumor characteristics, HPV status, treatment, and outcome. We present the largest study on SCC of the nasal cavity from a single center. Results. The majority of patients (70.2%) presented with an early-stage tumor (T1 or T2). Only 1 patient had a single neck metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Four tumors were HPV-positive. Most patients (61.5%) underwent surgical resection without adjuvant treatment, with 12 patients (30.8%) undergoing additional radiotherapy. Three patients were treated with primary radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. No patient treated primarily with total rhinectomy developed local tumor recurrence. Conclusion. Local tumor control is crucial, even if it makes radical surgery necessary. Postoperative epithetic treatment enables reliable follow-up examinations. Regional metastases at the time of diagnosis are rare. Neck dissection should therefore be reserved for cases of suspected metastasis. HPV may also play a role in the etiology of SCC of the nasal cavity. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.