title: Cancer of the external auditory canal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer of the external auditory canal is a rare tumour with an annual incidence of one per one million inhabitants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates in a series of patients with carcinoma of the external auditory canal and to compare our results concerning the clinical presentation, management and survival with those of the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients were included in this retrospective, single-centre study over a 20-year period. Data concerning age, symptoms, imaging, TNM stage according to the Pittsburgh classification, histology, management, sequelae, recurrences and survival were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients of this series was 60.7 years. Seven patients had a squamous cell carcinoma. The other histological types were undifferentiated carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma. Staging was based on the Pittsburgh classification with one stage I, one stage III and eight stage IV tumours. Five-year overall survival rates were 100%, 50% and 0%, respectively. The mean 5-year overall survival rate was 35% and the mean 5-year disease-free survival rate was 24%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carcinoma of the external auditory canal is a difficult diagnosis when the tumour does not present as a fungating mass protruding from the external auditory canal. The Pittsburgh classification was used for TNM staging of these tumours, allowing comparison of our results with those of the literature. The clinical findings and survival rates observed in this study are comparable to those reported in the literature. These tumours are associated with a poor prognosis on the basis of our results and published data.
authors.affiliation: Service d'ORL et chirurgie cervico-faciale, CHRU de Tours, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ouaz
authors.affiliation: Service d'ORL et chirurgie cervico-faciale, CHRU de Tours, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France; Faculté de médecine, université François-Rabelais, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robier
authors.affiliation: Service d'ORL et chirurgie cervico-faciale, CHRU de Tours, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France; Faculté de médecine, université François-Rabelais, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lescanne
authors.affiliation: Service d'ORL et chirurgie cervico-faciale, CHRU de Tours, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bobillier
authors.affiliation: Service d'ORL et chirurgie cervico-faciale, CHRU de Tours, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France; Faculté de médecine, université François-Rabelais, 37000 Tours, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morinière
authors.affiliation: Service d'ORL et chirurgie cervico-faciale, CHRU de Tours, boulevard Tonnellé, 37044 Tours, France; Faculté de médecine, université François-Rabelais, 37000 Tours, France. Electronic address: bakhos_d@med.univ-tours.fr.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bakhos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D038781:Otoscopy; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000601:surgery; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps
keywords: External auditory canal; Radiotherapy; Squamous cell carcinoma; Surgery