Sinonasal cancer: Analysis of oncological failures in 156 consecutive cases

Background Sinonasal cancers are rare and associated with a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to report our experience and analyze the risk factors for oncologic failures. Methods A retrospective review of 156 consecutive patients treated with curative intent for sinonasal malignancy between 1995 and 2005 at tertiary cancer center was performed. Demographic, clinical, morphological, and pathological parameters were correlated with oncologic outcomes. Results Complete response was obtained for 134 patients. Sixty-eight patients relapsed, among which 51 had local recurrence. Nine of these 51 patients (17.6%) underwent successful salvage therapy. Five-year local failure and overall survival rates were 50.0% and 61.1%, respectively. Maxillary sinus tumors, intracranial invasion, and N > 0 classification at initial diagnosis were significantly and independently associated with local failure and survival in multivariate analysis. Conclusion Local control after initial treatment is primordial to optimizing outcomes because of the poor results of salvage therapy.