Prognostic Subgroups for Disease-Free Survival With Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Can a high-risk subgroup of patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck be identified based on poor disease-free survival after postoperative radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy?In this secondary analysis of the randomized phase 3 TROG 05.01 trial including 321 patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, a high-risk group defined by extranodal extension and a nodal size of 22 mm or greater had significantly lower 5-year disease-free and overall survival compared with those without high risk.The study results suggest that patients with these high-risk features may benefit from treatment intensification and should be prioritized in future adjuvant therapy trials.

Corresponding Author: Sandro Virgilio Porceddu, MD, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia (sandro.porceddu@petermac.org).

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