Radiotherapy With or Without Surgery for Maxillary Sinus Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma is commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage and treated using radiotherapy, with or without surgical resection. Fifty-four patients with maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma were treated from 1969 to 2006, using radiotherapy, with or without surgical resection. Fifty-two (96%) patients had American Joint Committee on Cancer stages III to IV disease, and 45 (83%) patients had N0 neck disease. Five-year local control (LC) rates by T-stage were 63% for T2/T3; and 43% for T4. Five-year LC rates for patients treated with radiotherapy preoperatively, postoperatively, and definitively were 61%, 65%, and 37%, respectively. Initially, overall 5-year LC, neck control, and local-regional control were 49%, 82%, and 45%, respectively. The ultimate 5-year LC, neck control, and local regional control after salvage of failures were 51%, 87%, and 50%, respectively. The overall 5-year cause-specific survival was 41%. Thirty-three percent of patients had a severe complication. Radiotherapy, with or without surgical resection, remains an effective tool in treating patients with this disease. LC, cause-specific survival, and complication rates need significant improvement. Treatment details and recommendations are discussed herein.