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.