Risk factors for local and nodal recurrence in patients with head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in a high-reference oncological center in Poland.

Background: The behavior of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) of the head and neck remains poorly understood. There is much controversy regarding the risk of local and nodal recurrences, as well as individual/environmental factors that increase the risk, such as tumor size, perineural invasion, and the state of the immune system. The objective was to analyze factors influencing local and/or regional lymph node recurrence in patients with cSCC in the head and neck region.

Material And Methods: This retrospective single-centre study included 521 patients with cSCC of the head and neck region, with local recurrence observed in 11% and nodal recurrence in 5%. Various potential risk factors were analyzed.

Results: Statistically significant risk factors for both local and nodal recurrence include: tumor recurrence (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001 respectively), tissue inflammation confirmed histopathologically (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0019, respectively), tumor size ≥ 10 mm (p = 0.018, p = 0.0056, respectively), invasion depth > 2 mm (p = 0.0238, p = 0.0031, respectively). Risk factors significant only for local recurrence include: surgical margins (p = 0.0056), tumor differentiation grade (p = 0.0149). No risk factors were found to be significant solely for nodal recurrence.

Conclusion: The authors argue that, in addition to classically recognized risk factors for local and nodal recurrence, attention should be paid to the presence of tissue inflammation confirmed histopathologically. It is also suggested to consider a tumor size of 10 mm as a threshold, increasing the risk of recurrence, instead of the frequently proposed 20 mm.