PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN CARCINOMA OF THE EXTERNAL AUDITORY-CANAL

Background: Carcinomas of the external auditory canal are rare neoplas ms (<1% of all head and neck malignant neoplasms). Objective: To evalu ate the prognostic factors in 79 patients treated in a single institut ion. Patients and Methods: The disease was staged as follows: 34 patie nts with stage T1 to T2 tumors; 43 patients with stage T3 to T4 tumors ; 2 patients with stage TX tumors; 68 patients with stage NO tumors; a nd 11 patients with stage N1 tumors. The initial treatment was surgery in 59 patients and radiotherapy in 9 patients. Eleven patients were n ot considered candidates for treatment. Results: Tb date, 29 patients have experienced local recurrences and 2, neck metastases. The 5-year survival rates were 65% for patients who underwent surgery, 29% for pa tients who underwent radiotherapy, and 63% for patients who underwent a combination of surgery and radiotherapy. Univariate survival analysi s showed statistical difference according to tumor type (P=.003), bone involvement (P=.002), and tumor stage (P<.001). Conclusion: Every eff ort must be undertaken to make an early diagnosis and perform radical surgical resection of squamous cell carcinomas in the external auditor y canal. This study validates the staging system used for squamous cel l carcinoma of the ear treated with surgery.