The incidence of late neck recurrence in N0 maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinomas after superselective intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy without prophylactic neck irradiation

The Role of Elective Nodal Irradiation in Treating Clinically Node-Negative Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

PURPOSE

This study aims to examine the role of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in clinically node-negative (cN0) sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) and to define the optimal radiation fields for ENI.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We retrospectively reviewed 368 patients with cN0 SNSCC treated between 2009 and 2021. The study evaluated the impact of ENI on overall survival, progression-free survival, regional failure-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival, along with the coverage areas of ENI.

RESULTS

The majority of patients underwent surgery (316/368, 85.9%), with 276 of 368 (75%) having tumors in the maxillary sinus or nasal cavity and 249 of 368 (67.7%) presenting with T4 disease. Additionally, in 119 of the 368 cases (32.3%), tumors were poorly differentiated. The 5-year overall survival, progression-free survival, regional failure-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival rates were 59.3%, 54.0%, 57.6%, and 58.8%, respectively. ENI was performed in 217 patients (59%), with 16 experiencing neck relapse during follow-up. Although ENI did not enhance survival rates, it significantly reduced the overall regional failure rate (7.9% vs 1.8%; χ2 = 7.98; P < .01) and the cumulative incidence of regional failure (P = .045). Additionally, the subgroups with maxillary sinus origin (2.3% vs 13.5%; P = .025), T4 stage (1.8% vs 8.5%; P = .028), and poor differentiation (2.4% vs 13.5%; P = .029) had higher cumulative incidences of regional failure in patients without ENI. No significant difference was observed in survival and regional failure rates between patients treated with ENI to levels Ib and II with or without level III, as well as between cN0 patients with nonmidline crossing lesions receiving unilateral or bilateral ENI.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite no survival benefit, ENI significantly decreases the regional failure rate in patients with cN0 SNSCC. For primary lesions not crossing the midline, ipsilateral ENI targeting levels Ib and II proves to be an effective strategy.

A multi-institutional retrospective study of 340 cases of sinonasal malignant tumor

OBJECTIVE

Sinonasal malignant tumors (SNMT) are relatively rare among head and neck malignant tumors. Most are squamous cell carcinomas, and malignant melanomas, olfactory neuroblastomas, adenoid cystic carcinomas, sarcomas, and others also occur. The most common primary site of nasal sinus squamous cell carcinoma is the maxillary sinus. In recent years, a decrease in incidence of maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma (MSSCC) has been reported along with a decrease in the incidence of sinusitis. MSSCC is treated with a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Treatment decisions are made according to the progression of the disease, the patient's general condition, and the patient's own wishes. There are variations in treatment policies among facilities due to the specialty of staff and cooperation with other departments at each facility. We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study to compare outcomes by treatment strategy.

METHODS

In this study, 340 patients with SNMT who were treated at 13 Hospitals (Head and Neck Oncology Group (Kyoto-HNOG) ) during the 12-year period from January 2006 to December 2017 were included. There were 220 patients with squamous cell carcinoma, 32 with malignant melanoma, 21 with olfactory neuroblastoma, and 67 with other malignancies. Of the squamous cell carcinomas, 164 were of maxillary sinus origin. One hundred and forty cases of MSSCC that were treated radically were included in the detailed statistical analysis.

RESULTS

There were 5 cases of cStage I, 9 cases of cStage II, 36 cases of cStage III, 74 cases of cStage IVa, and 16 cases of cStage IVb. There were 92 cases without clinical lymph node metastasis (cN(-)) and 48 cases with clinical lymph node metastasis(cN(+)). Primary tumors were treated mainly by surgery in 85 cases (Surg) and by radical radiation therapy (with or without chemotherapy) of 6-70 Gy in 55 cases(non-Surg). The 5-year overall/disease-free survival rate (OS/DFS) for MSSCC was 65.1%/51.6%. Old age, renal dysfunction, and clinical T progression were independent risk factors for OS, and renal dysfunction was an independent risk factor for DFS. In cN(-) patients, OS and DFS were significantly better in Surg group than in non-Surg group. In cN(+) patients, there was no significant difference in OS and DFS between Surg and non-Surg groups.

CONCLUSION

For patients with MSSCC without lymph node metastasis, aggressive surgery on the primary tumor contributes to improved prognosis.

Therapeutic efficacy of intra-arterial docetaxel and nedaplatin infusion concomitant with radiotherapy for T4 maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy with docetaxel and nedaplatin for T4 maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma (MSSCC). Data were retrospectively analysed for 22 consecutive patients with T4 MSSCC who underwent intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy. Participants received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (70 Gy in 35 fractions) concomitantly with docetaxel (60 mg/m²) and nedaplatin (80 mg/m²) administered every 4 weeks for a total of three sessions. The median follow-up period was 49 months (range 12-91 months). T4a tumours were found in 16 patients (73%) and T4b tumours in six patients (27%). Cervical metastasis was found in nine patients (41%; five N2b, four N2c). The 5-year loco-regional control, disease-free survival, and overall survival rates for patients with T4a disease were 92.3%, 92.3%, and 90.3%, respectively, compared to 83.3% (P = 0.42), 66.7% (P = 0.07), and 83.3% (P = 0.46), respectively, for those with T4b disease. The 5-year loco-regional control, disease-free survival, and overall survival rates for patients with cervical lymph node metastasis were all 87.5% compared to 92.3% (P = 0.86), 84.6% (P = 0.69), and 92.3% (P = 0.93), respectively, for those without cervical metastasis. Intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy with docetaxel and nedaplatin may provide favourable loco-regional control and increased survival in T4 MSSCC.

Outcome of Definitive and Postoperative Radiotherapy in Patients with Sinonasal Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Aims

To evaluate outcomes in patients with sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) treated with definitive radiotherapy (DRT) and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT).

Methods

Between 1990 and 2013, 73 patients with sinonasal SCC were treated with radiotherapy. Fifty-two patients (71.2%) were treated with DRT and 21 (28.8%) were treated with PORT. The primary tumor sites were the maxillary sinus in 47 patients (64.4%), the nasal cavity in 18 (24.7%), the ethmoid sinus in 7 (9.6%), and the frontal sinus in 1 (1.4%). Four (5.4%), 11 (15.1%), 24 (32.9%), 17 (23.3%), and 17 (23.3%) patients had T1, T2, T3, T4a, and T4b tumors, respectively. N stage was N0, N1, N2a, N2b, N2c, and N3 in 60 (82.2%), 6 (8.2%), 2 (2.7%), 2 (2.7%), and 3 (4.1%) patients, respectively. The median follow-up period was 23 months (range 3-196).

Results

The 5-year local progression-free survival (LPFS), regional progression-free survival (RPFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS) in the DRT and PORT groups were 50.6%, 82.1%, 91.1%, and 84.4% and 85.7%, 72.1%, 76.1%, and 83.5%, respectively, without any statistically significant differences.

Conclusions

The LPFS, RPFS, DMFS, and OS were not significantly different between the DRT and PORT groups. Given the possibility of functional disability and cosmetic disfigurement with facial surgery, DRT might be considered as a surrogate to surgery followed by PORT for patients with locally advanced sinonasal SCC.

Management of the neck in maxillary sinus carcinomas

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To discuss and review the role for elective treatment of the neck in maxillary squamous cell carcinoma. Improvements in survival have been seen because of improved local therapies and control; therefore, the treatment of the neck has become a topic of debate.

RECENT FINDINGS

The risk of occult metastases in neck nodes is higher for T3-4 tumors. The rate of nodal relapse in the N0 neck without elective treatment is 8-15%. With elective irradiation the nodal relapse rate decreases. However, most nodal relapses are accompanied by local failure or distant disease. Local failure remains the most common site of failure and cause of death in this patient population.

SUMMARY

Treatment failure occurs overall in 62% of all patients, with local recurrence by far the most common site of treatment failure, which is rarely amenable to salvage therapy. Therefore, elective neck irradiation is not routinely indicated in the clinically N0 neck; those that recur only in the neck can be surgically salvaged more than 50% of the time.