Staging System Performance and Clinical Outcomes for Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Ear: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) of the ear is associated with poor outcomes. No studies have evaluated current staging system performance in this specific location. OBJECTIVE Describe clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes of ear cSCC and evaluate the performance of current staging systems. METHODS Retrospective study including cases diagnosed and treated at a cancer center from January 2000 to December 2014. Demographic, clinical, and pathologic data were collected from clinical records. Biopsy slides were rereviewed and patients were staged according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) seventh, eighth, and Brigham Women's Hospital (BWH) staging. RESULTS Of 125 patients, the mean age at diagnosis was 71.9 years (SD 12.5), with most men (89.6%, n = 112). Median follow-up was 22.3 months. Local recurrence and survival risk factors were similar to cSCC outside the ear. The Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) estimates showed that the BWH system better predicted outcomes than the AJCC seventh, and the AJCC eighth, with AIC values of 189.9, 270.5, and 274.1, respectively. Limitations of the study include retrospective design, single center study, and no control group. CONCLUSION Current staging systems perform well at stratifying risk in ear cSCC.