Background: The optimal treatment of maxillary sinus carcinoma remains
to be defined and there is a paucity of Indian studies on the subject.
Aims: To present experience of management of squamous cell carcinoma
of the maxillary sinus treated with curative intent at a single
institution. Settings and Design:Retrospective study of patients with
squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus who presented between
1994 to 1999. Materials and Methods:The records of 73 patients with
squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus were analyzed. Sixty-two
patients were evaluable. Forty patients (65%) were treated with surgery
followed by postoperative radiotherapy, five patients (8%) were treated
with radiotherapy alone, five patients (8%) were treated with surgery
alone; 12 patients (19%) received chemotherapy. Statistical analysis
used: Statistical analysis was done using Kaplan-Meier method.
Results: The majority of patients presented with locally advanced
disease (52, 84%); nodal involvement was observed in five patients
(8%). The most common site of recurrence was at the primary site, which
was observed in 28 patients (45%) and regional failures occurred in 10
(16%). The 3 and 5-year overall survival was 38% and 35% and the
disease free survival was 29% and 26% respectively. The 5-year overall
survival after surgery and postoperative radiotherapy was 42%.
Conclusions:The majority of patients present with advanced disease
resulting in poor outcomes to conventional treatment modalities.
Locoregional tumor progression remains a significant pattern of
failure. New approaches such as neoadjuvant or concomitant
chemoradiotherapy with aggressive surgery need to be considered and
evaluated in prospective studies
