title: T stage as prognostic factor in irradiated localized squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To investigate the impact of T stage according to Wang on the prognosis of irradiated nasal vestibule carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment results of 47 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment consisted of external beam radiotherapy (n = 26) or interstitial radiotherapy (n = 19) or a combination of both (n = 2) for a primary, localized, squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule. Mean follow-up was 5 years and 7 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  T1/T2 tumors: Local control was achieved in 40 of 44 patients; surgical salvage was possible in 2 of 4 local failures. Five patients had recurrences in the neck, and four of them could be salvaged surgically. One patient had distant metastases develop. T3 tumors (n = 3): no T3 tumor could locally be cured by radiotherapy. One patient was salvaged surgically but died of regional and distant metastases. Disease-specific survival is significantly correlated with T stage according to Wang (p =.0001). Most (85%) patients were smokers, and eight of them (20%) had a second primary tumor develop in the lungs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effect of radiotherapy is significantly correlated with T stage (p =.0001) and hence less successful in T3 lesions as primary treatment option. The high incidence of second primary tumors in the lung is indicative for a similar carcinogenic influence of smoking on the nasal vestibule.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head & Neck Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eelco
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kummer
authors.forename: Coen R N
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rasch
authors.forename: Ronald B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Keus
authors.forename: I Bing
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Alfons J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Balm
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009296:Nasal Cavity; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate