The significance of regional metastasis location in head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Background Regional metastasis of head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (HNcSCC) can be seen in either parotid and/or cervical lymph nodes. The aim of this study was to assess whether there was a difference in prognosis between parotid and cervical nodal metastases. Methods Patients with regional metastasis from HNcSCC were identified from an institutional database. Disease-specific (DSS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models. Results Five hundred and thirty-five patients were identified with median follow-up of 26.4 months (3-255 months). Two hundred and thirty-five patients had parotid metastasis, 96 patients had neck metastasis, and 204 patients had both. On multivariable analysis, any regional metastasis to the neck when compared to parotid alone conferred worse DSS (HR 1.8, p = 0.007) and OS (HR 1.3, p = 0.024). Conclusion Regional metastasis of HNcSCC to the neck confers worse outcomes compared to metastasis to the parotid alone.

Automated summary

This study found that regional metastasis of head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma to the neck confers worse outcomes compared to metastasis to the parotid alone.