Outcomes of Salvage Surgery for Recurrent Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck Following Definitive Surgery and Radiation Therapy.

OBJECTIVE

To describe outcomes of patients with a history of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) of the head and neck previously treated with definitive surgery and radiation therapy (RT), who undergo salvage surgery for disease recurrence. There is minimal data available on this cohort of patients.

METHODS

This was a retrospective case series. Patients evaluated for advanced cSCC of the head and neck between 2003 and 2022 were reviewed. Those with a history of surgery and adjuvant RT undergoing salvage surgery for recurrence were included in the main cohort. Comparisons were made to patients undergoing primary/initial treatment, and to those undergoing salvage surgery for recurrence but without a history of adjuvant RT.

RESULTS

Of the 579 patients reviewed, 49 met inclusion criteria for the main cohort. Average length of follow up was 22 months. A total of 19 patients (38.8%) experienced recurrence, all within 14 months of salvage surgery. Among patents staged BWH T2b or T3, there was a 50% recurrence rate. Average overall survival following surgery was 35.6 months (95% CI = 24.7-46.4).

CONCLUSION

Patients in this cohort have a high rate of recurrence and an overall survival of approximately 3 years.