An approach to managing non-melanoma skin cancer of the nose with mucosal invasion: our experience.

CONCLUSIONS: The absence of recurrences after final nasal reconstruction demonstrates the reliability of our three-stage strategy and the necessity to delay nasal reconstruction, focusing attention on oncological safety for nasal non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) with mucosal invasion.
OBJECTIVES: To validate a therapeutic strategy aimed at oncological safety and minimization of possible recurrences after full-thickness excision of nasal NMSC with mucosal invasion. The strategy was divided into three stages: surgical excision with clinically safe perilesional skin margins and extemporary frozen section histological control; 8-15 months follow-up leaving the nasal defect unreconstructed with a 'wait and see' strategy; new extemporary histological control of defect margins and, if negative, definitive reconstruction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients affected by nasal NMSC with mucosal invasion were treated and followed up.
RESULTS: Basal cell carcinoma was the most common lesion (75%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (25%). Ultrasonography excluded lymphatic involvement for SCC. Before final reconstruction, extemporary histological examination revealed the presence of tumour cells in three patients. After tumour extirpation, these patients were resubmitted to a new follow-up period before reconstruction. No recurrences were observed after definitive nasal reconstruction in all patients during the 5-year follow-up.