CARCINOMA OF THE EXTERNAL AUDITORY MEATUS AND MIDDLE-EAR - RESULTS OFTHE TREATMENT OF 28 CASES

Aims: The authors report their experience on the treatment of 28 cases of middle ear (3) and external auditory meatus (EAM) cancers (25) wit h surgery and/or radiation therapy. According to histologic type, ther e were 23 squamous cell carcinomas, 4 basal cell carcinomas and 1 aden ocystic carcinoma. Methods: Surgery alone was performed in 2 cases, su rgery combined with radiotherapy in 11 cases, and radiotherapy alone i n 15 cases. Postoperative radiation therapy dose ranged between 4500 a nd 5500 cGy; the definitive dose was 6000-7000 cGy. The median follow- up was 61 months. Results: Complete respons rate 6 weeks after the end of the treatment, evaluated by CT scan, was 85.7% (24/28). Definitive local control was obtained in 20/28 cases for the primary site and in 26/28 cases for the neck. Nine of the 10 recurrences were retreated w ith low-dose radiotherapy combined with surgery, chemotherapy or hyper thermia. A new local control was obtained in 2 cases. Four patients we re lost during the follw-up at 13, 14,17 and 23 months after the end o f the treatment. The survival rate was 54% (13/24); disease-free survi val was 50% (11/22). Conclusions: Despite a not very aggressive treatm ent, our results are quite good.