Anne-Sophie Schrooyen, Luigi Angelo Vaira, Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo, Aina Brunet, Antonio Marí, Alberto Maria Saibene, Florent Carsuzaa, Linda Spinato, Alexandra Rodriguez, Stephane Hans, Antonino Maniaci, Carlos M Chiesa-Estomba, Giovanni Briganti, Dider Dequanter, Jerome R Lechien
HNVC demonstrates excellent five-year survival. Surgery remains the primary treatment, with wider resections significantly reducing recurrence risk, emphasizing the importance of achieving clear margins for durable local control.
BACKGROUND: We characterized oncological outcomes of head and neck verrucous carcinomas (HNVC) and explored treatment-associated outcomes.
METHODS: Medical records of 106 HNVC patients (1994-2024) were reviewed, analyzing clinical history, tumor characteristics, treatment modality, and outcomes.
RESULTS: Among 106 patients, 101 underwent surgery. Five-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival were 82.2% and 85.3%, respectively. Cox regression identified age ≥ 65 years as significantly increasing recurrence risk (HR = 5.989; 95% CI 2.02-17.77), while tobacco consumption decreased risk (HR = 0.309; 95% CI 0.12-0.81). Clinical T stage influenced recurrence: cT2 (HR = 0.22), cT3 (HR = 1.366), cT4 (HR = 1.525). Compared with local resection, partial organ resection (HR = 0.841) and total organ resection (HR = 0.501) showed lower recurrence rates.
CONCLUSION: HNVC demonstrates excellent five-year survival. Surgery remains the primary treatment, with wider resections significantly reducing recurrence risk, emphasizing the importance of achieving clear margins for durable local control.