eMedicine Specialties > Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery > External Ear Diseases

Malignant Tumors of the Temporal Bone: Follow-up

Author: Stephanie A Moody Antonio, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School
Coauthor(s): Barry E Hirsch, MD, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology; Director, Division of Otology/Neurotology
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Mar 19, 2009

Outcome and Prognosis

Prognosis is related to the primary site, the histologic type, and treatment. The outcome of treatment for early stage tumors is favorable, with most series reporting an 80-100% survival rate. Later stage cancers after adequate surgery and radiation treatment have a survival between 50% and 80%. Advanced lesions have a poor prognosis despite aggressive treatment, with 2-year survival of 0-40%.5,1 Salvage surgery after an incomplete resection is associated with a poorer prognosis compared to a definitive procedure in an undisrupted field.1 A mastoidectomy or limited excision performed by an outside institution prior to referral complicates preoperative assessment and staging, disrupts margins, and forces the surgeon to operate in an inflamed field with interrupted landmarks. Positive margins, nodal disease, dural involvement, and advanced disease are associated with poorer survival.5,1

Future and Controversies

The optimal management of temporal bone cancer remains unclear because of continued debate regarding staging, the utility of preoperative radiographic evaluation, the extent and nomenclature of surgical procedures, and the use of adjuvant radiation. The limited number of cases of temporal bone malignancies at each individual institution precludes definitive conclusions regarding the optimum protocol for management. The future of improved treatment strategies lies in a multi-institutional effort to adopt a staging system and develop prospective trials.

 


More on Malignant Tumors of the Temporal Bone

Overview: Malignant Tumors of the Temporal Bone
Workup: Malignant Tumors of the Temporal Bone
Treatment: Malignant Tumors of the Temporal Bone
Follow-up: Malignant Tumors of the Temporal Bone
Multimedia: Malignant Tumors of the Temporal Bone
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

temporal bone tumors, temporal bone, malignant tumors of the temporal bone, tumors, cancer of the external auditory canal, cancer of the EAC, temporal bone cancer, cancer of the ear, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignancy of the temporal bone, ear cancer, ear tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Stephanie A Moody Antonio, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School
Stephanie A Moody Antonio, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Medical Association, American Neurotology Society, and Virginia Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Barry E Hirsch, MD, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology; Director, Division of Otology/Neurotology
Barry E Hirsch, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American College of Surgeons, American Otological Society, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

B Viswanatha, MBBS, MS, DLO, Professor of ENT, Sri Venkateshwara ENT Institute, Victoria Hospital, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, India
B Viswanatha, MBBS, MS, DLO is a member of the following medical societies: Association of Otolaryngologists of India, Indian Medical Association, and Indian Society of Otology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Erik Kass, MD, Chief, Department of Clinical Otolaryngology, Associates in Otolaryngology of Northern Virginia
Erik Kass, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American Association for Cancer Research, American Medical Association, and American Rhinologic Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Christopher L Slack, MD, Otolaryngology-Facial Plastic Surgery, Private Practice, Associated Coastal ENT; Medical Director, Treasure Coast Sleep Disorders
Christopher L Slack, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and American Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Arlen D Meyers, MD, MBA, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Arlen D Meyers, MD, MBA is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and American Head and Neck Society
Disclosure: Covidien Corp Consulting fee Consulting; US Tobacco Corporation unstricted gift unknown

 
 
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