Carcinoma of the skin with perineural invasion.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcome and patterns of relapse in patients treated for skin carcinoma of the head and neck with either microscopic or clinical perineural invasion.


METHODS
Radiotherapy alone or combined with surgery was used to treat 135 patients with microscopic or clinical evidence of perineural invasion of skin carcinoma. All patients had at least 2 years of follow-up.


RESULTS
The 5-year local control rates without salvage therapy were 87% with microscopic perineural invasion and 55% with clinical perineural invasion. Overall, 88% of the local failures occurred in patients with positive margins. Almost half of the recurrences in patients with microscopic perineural invasion were limited to the first-echelon regional nodes. However, only 1 of 11 patients with basal cell carcinoma with microscopic perineural invasion had a nodal failure. Ninety percent of recurrences in patients with clinical perineural invasion occurred at the primary site. Cranial nerve deficits rarely improved after successful treatment of the primary disease. Radiographic abnormalities remained stable 30% of the time when patients had clinical evidence of progressive disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Radiotherapy in patients with skin cancer with clinical perineural invasion should include treatment of the first-echelon regional lymphatics. The risk of regional node involvement is also relatively high for patients with squamous cell carcinoma with microscopic perineural invasion. In patients with clinical perineural invasion, the poor local control rates with conventional radiotherapy suggest a need for dose escalation with or without concomitant chemotherapy.
Garcia-Serra
Allie
A
Departments of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida Health Service Center, PO Box 100385, Gainesville, Florida, 32610-0385, USA.
Hinerman
Russell W
RW
Mendenhall
William M
WM
Amdur
Robert J
RJ
Morris
Christopher G
CG
Williams
Lorna Sohn
LS
Mancuso
Anthony A
AA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003391:Cranial Nerves / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015182:Lymphatic Irradiation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome