Objectives: This paper aims to provide contemporary epidemiological data on squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the nasal cavity, which represents a rare type of head and neck cancer.
Design, setting & participants: A descriptive analysis of people with nasal cavity SCC treated with curative intent from the Head and Neck 5000 study; a multicentre clinical cohort study of people from the UK with head and neck cancer. People with tumours of the nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses and other sub-sites of the head and neck were excluded.
Main outcome measures: Demographic data and treatment details are presented for all participants. The main outcomes were overall survival and survival according to categories of characteristics (eg, smoker vs non-smoker); these were explored using Kaplan-Meier plots.
Results: Thirty people with nasal cavity SCC were included in the study, of which most were male (67%) and current or ex-smokers (70%). The majority (70%) presented with early-stage (T1/2, N0) tumours. Cervical lymph node metastases at presentation were rare, occurring in only one person. Nine people died during the follow-up period (30%). Worse survival outcomes were seen in people with moderate or severe co-morbidities.
Conclusions: This paper provides epidemiological data on nasal cavity SCC in the UK. Patterns of disease and survival outcomes are described, identifying high-risk groups. Further studies should explore whether primary treatment modality alters survival.
Keywords: epidemiology; nasal cavity; nasal mucosa; nasal septum; nasal surgical procedures; nose neoplasms; radiation; squamous cell carcinoma.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.