Cancer of the external auditory canal and middle ear in Denmark from 1992 to 2001.

Abstract

In the context of the Danish Head and Neck Cancer Group, nationwide material from 1992-2001 was analyzed to study the extent and nature of the disease, evaluate treatment, compare staging systems, and examine prognosis and survival. Review of 68 consecutive cases: 47 squamous cell carcinoma, 10 basal cell carcinoma, and 11 other histologies. Moody (modified Pittsburgh) stages were T1 (26), T2 (9), T3 (8), T4 (23), Tx (2). Sixty-four patients were treated with curative intent: 24 primary radiotherapy, 18 primary surgery, and 22 combined. Surgery was limited to tumor excision and mastoidectomy and in 1 case temporal bone excision. Twenty-seven of 28 recurrences involved primary site. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed 5-year locoregional control of 48%, disease-specific survival 57%, and overall survival 44%. This nationwide study confirmed that local failure is the main problem, and future improvements should focus on more aggressive local treatment.