Endonasal endoscopic surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the sinonasal cavities and skull base: Oncologic outcomes based on treatment strategy and tumor etiology.

BACKGROUND Oncologic outcomes for sinonasal and skull base squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) treated with an endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) needs investigation. METHODS Patients with SCC treated with EEA were stratified by treatment strategy and tumor etiology and reviewed. RESULTS Thirty-four patients were treated with EEA, or which 27 had definitive resection and 7 had debulking surgery. In the definitive group, 17 had de novo tumors and 10 had tumors arising from inverted papilloma. Definitive resection was associated with better 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) than debulking (62% vs 17%; p = .02; and 78% vs 30%; p = .03). Patients with de novo tumors had similar 5-year DFS and OS to those arising from inverted papilloma (62% vs 62%; p = .75; and 75% vs 86%; p = .24). CONCLUSION Definitive resection of sinonasal SCC with EEA provides sound oncologic outcomes. SCC arising from inverted papilloma does not have prognostic significance.