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Outcomes following radiation for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: Associations between immune suppression and recurrence
Author(s) -
Arbab Mona,
Margalit Danielle N.,
Tishler Roy B.,
Rabinowits Guilherme,
Pashtan Itai M.,
Borgelt Bruce B.,
Powlis William,
Holdsworth Clay H.,
Warren Laura E.,
Schoenfeld Jonathan D.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.25663
Subject(s) - medicine , radiation therapy , immunosuppression , multivariate analysis , head and neck , retrospective cohort study , cohort , basal cell , head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , oncology , surgery , head and neck cancer
Background Data evaluating outcomes and patterns of recurrence following radiation therapy (RT) for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) of the head and neck are limited. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 111 head and neck cSCC patients treated with RT at 4 affiliated institutions. Results With median follow‐up of 7 months, there were 29 (26%) recurrences, 73% of which were nodal ( n = 21). Immunosuppression (IS) was the only factor associated with recurrence (47% in IS, 22% in non‐IS, P = .04), and also with time to recurrence in multivariate analysis (HR 5.5; P = .03). No factors were associated with recurrence among patients who received definitive RT. The majority of patients who recurred were salvaged with surgery ( n = 20, 69%). Conclusion In a cohort of cSCC treated with radiotherapy, there was an association between IS and increased failure risk. The majority of failures were salvaged surgically.