title: Salvage surgery in recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Oncologic outcome and predictors of disease free survival.
abstract: Salvage surgery in recurrent SCCHN is associated with poor outcomes. This study aimed to better identify suitable surgical candidates and those at high risk of new recurrence.
  
  
  
  Single-center retrospective analysis of 109 patients undergoing salvage surgery for recurrent SCCHN. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify prognostic factors affecting disease-free survival (DFS).
  
  
  
  The following factors showed a significant impact on DFS: Disease-free interval >6months [HR 0.53; p=0.04], age>70years [HR 0.26; p=0.03], primary chemoradiotherapy [HR 2.39; p<0.01] compared to radiotherapy, oropharynx [HR 5.46; p<0.01] and hypopharynx [HR 3.92; p=<0.01] sites, compared to larynx, initial stage III [HR 7.10; p<0.01] and stage IV [HR 4.13; p<0.01], compared to stage I, locoregional recurrence [HR 4.57; p<0.01], compared to local recurrence. Univariate analysis also identified significant postoperative predictors of poor DFS including flap reconstruction [HR 3.44; p<0.01], postoperative complications [HR 2.09; p=0.01], positive margins [HR 3.64; p<0.01] and close margins [HR 3.83; p<0.01]. On multivariate analysis, oropharynx site [HR 3.98; p<0.01], initial stage III [HR 5.93; p<0.01] and locoregional recurrence [HR 2.93; p=0.04] were independent preoperative prognostic factors for DFS. Positive margins [HR 2.32; p=0.04], close margins [HR 2.94; p=0.02], extracapsular spread (ECS) [HR 4.04; p=0.03] and postoperative complications [HR 3.64; p<0.01] were independent postoperative prognostic factors.
  
  
  
  Patients with advanced primary nonlaryngeal tumor and locoregional recurrence have limited success with salvage surgery. Because patients with positive margins and ECS are at high risk of relapse, adjuvant treatment should be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head & Neck Surgery, St Luc University HospitaI and King Albert II Cancer Institute, Brussels, Belgium; Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: marc.hamoir@uclouvain.be.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamoir
authors.affiliation: Department of Head & Neck Surgery, St Luc University HospitaI and King Albert II Cancer Institute, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holvoet
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Center for Applied Molecular Technologies (CTMA), Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jerôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ambroise
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, King Albert II Cancer Institute & St Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lengelé
authors.affiliation: Department of Head & Neck Surgery, St Luc University HospitaI and King Albert II Cancer Institute, Brussels, Belgium; Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Head and neck cancer; Primary treatment failure; Recurrent disease; Salvage surgery; Squamous cell carcinoma