The role of surgery in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule.

A retrospective analysis of 61 patients who were treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule is presented. The general policy was to treat these carcinomas with radiation therapy, in view of the perception that this leads to a more acceptable cosmetic result. The primary nasal carcinoma was treated by surgery in five patients and by radiation in 56 patients. Surgical salvage of recurrent carcinoma in the nasal vestibule was performed without complications in 12 patients and resulted in local control in seven. Regional node metastases present at the time of diagnosis in two patients were not controlled by combined radiation and surgery. Late-developing regional node metastases were successfully managed by node dissection in three of four patients. The policy of initial treatment of the primary tumor by radiation, reserving surgery for the management of residual or metastatic cancer, resulted in good control rates and cosmesis.