Salvage surgery in recurrent sinonasal cancers: Proposal for a prognostic model based on clinicopathologic and treatment-related parameters

Background: Evidence on survival and major prognosticators after salvage surgery in recurrent sinonasal cancers (SNC) is limited. Methods: A retrospective, single-center study of recurrent SNC treated with salvage surgery between 1997 and 2019 was conducted. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to define a prognostic score for overall survival (OS). Results: One hundred and eighteen patients were included. Recurrent SNC originated mostly in the naso-ethmoidal box (67.8%) and were mainly epithelial (76.2%), high-grade (49.2%), and locally advanced (rpT4, 60.1%) malignancies. Negative margins were achieved in 56.6% of cases. Two- and 5-year OS were 71.7% and 56%, respectively. The prognostic model included treatment modality for primary tumor, histology, rpT class, margin status, perineural invasion, and adjuvant radiotherapy and stratified patients into three prognostic groups (5-year OS: 84.4%, 44.9%, and 0%, respectively). Conclusions: Treatment of recurrent SNC can result in good long-term survival estimates with limited morbidity. Our score can provide excellent prognostic stratification.