Squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal and middle ear: an operation combined with preoperative chemoradiotherapy and a free surgical margin.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment outcomes for squamous cell carcinoma of the temporal bone were evaluated regarding stage, therapeutic strategy, and prognostic factors.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case review.

SETTING: University hospital and outpatient clinic.

PATIENTS: Twenty-five patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal and middle ear.

INTERVENTION: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy were used in 7 of 12 patients. Lateral temporal bone resection was performed for the lesions not beyond the tympanic membrane. Subtotal temporal bone resection was chosen for lesions extending to the middle ear cavity when there was no invasion to the pyramidal apex, carotid canal, or dura or metastasis. Others were conservatively treated by chemoradiotherapy. When the performance status was poor or an agreement regarding the operation could not be reached, the treatment was modified.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Estimated survival rates.

RESULTS: The 3-year estimated survival for T1 and T2 lesions was 100%. The 5-year estimated survival for T3 and T4 lesions was 80% and 35%, respectively. The 5-year estimated survival improved up to 75% for T4 tumors with operation and 16% for those without operation after 47 months. The tumor-free surgical margin is significantly related to patient survival in T3 and T4 lesions. Multivariate analysis predicted that concomitant chronic otitis media and positive lymph nodes were significantly associated with poorer survival.

CONCLUSION: The tumor-free surgical margin was important to survival. When T4 lesions did not involve the pyramidal apex, carotid canal, dura, or any lymph nodes, the surgical intervention improved the estimated survival rate to a level as good as T3 lesions.