Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx: a report of four new cases

OBJECTIVES: This study is designed to report the clinical and pathologic features and outcome of cases of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) of the larynx treated in our clinic. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of the medical records of these patients. METHODS: Four cases of BSCC of the larynx were treated in our department. Histopathologic slides were reevaluated to confirm the diagnosis. Immunohistochemical studies were performed, and file records were reviewed. Follow-up was available for all patients and ranged between 11 and 72 (mean 37) months. RESULTS: All patients were male (mean 57), with supraglottic or transglottic larynx tumors. Two patients presented with stage-II disease and the other 2 with stage-IV disease. Initial diagnosis was invasive squamous cell carcinoma in 3 patients and BSCC in one patient. Two patients who had stage-II disease underwent partial laryngectomy and bilateral neck dissections; total laryngectomy and bilateral neck dissections were performed in stage-IV patients. Three patients received adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy, and 2 of them also received additional chemotherapy. Patients with stage-IV disease were found to have 4 and 27 metastatic lymph nodes on histopathologic examination and died because of distant metastases at 11 and 14 months, respectively. Patients with stage-II disease did not have cervical metastasis on histopathologic examination and were alive and free of disease at 52 and 72 months respectively. CONCLUSION: In contrast with the literature reporting the tendency of more aggressive clinical behavior of the BSCC, we can say that BSCC has a behavior similar to conventional squamous cell carcinoma based on our 4 cases.     

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC), an uncommon tumor with predilection for the upper aerodigestive tract, is a distinct variant of squamous carcinoma, because of its unique histological features and ominous clinical behavior. This study reviews the experience in treating BSCC from two institutions. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective. METHODS: H&E-stained sections from 20 patients with BSCC of the head and neck were reviewed and clinical follow-up was obtained for all patients. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 14 male and 6 female patients. Their ages ranged from 43 to 85 years, with a mean age of 62 years. Sites of origin included the larynx (4), tongue (3), pyriform sinus (3), nose (2), floor of mouth (2), mastoid (1), tonsil (1), epiglottis (1), nasopharynx (1), trachea (1), and palate (1). Pain was the most common presenting symptom (5 cases), followed by hoarseness and bleeding (3 cases each). Tobacco and alcohol abuse was noted in 17 patients. Treatment modalities included surgery with or without chemotherapy or radiotherapy in 13 patients, chemotherapy with irradiation in 2, chemotherapy alone in 2, and radiotherapy alone in 3. Clinical follow-up revealed no evidence of disease in 11 patients. Four were alive with disease at the time of writing and five died of disease. CONCLUSION: BSCC is a highly aggressive malignant tumor that presents in elderly patients who have a history of abuse of tobacco or alcohol, or both. Greater number of patients must be studied and compared with age-matched and stage-matched controls of conventional squamous cell carcinoma to determine whether the poor clinical outcome is related more to high-stage presentation or to the tumor's high-grade malignant cytological features.     

Basaloid squamous carcinoma of the larynx

BACKGROUND: Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a distinct variant of squamous cell carcinoma that was first described by Wain et al in 1986. Since then, about 160 cases have been reported in the literature. Only 40 cases have been described in the larynx. METHODS: Four cases of BSCC of the larynx treated in our department between 1986 and 2000 are presented. The clinical features, biological behavior, and histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of this uncommon tumor are described, and the relevant literature is reviewed. RESULTS: The main clinical presentation did not differ from other histological types of laryngeal carcinoma. The clinical course, however, was much more aggressive. All the patients received aggressive therapy including radical surgery and radiation. Two patients received chemotherapy. Two of the 4 patients presented died of distant metastasis shortly after diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of this study with a limited number of patients supports previous reports suggesting that BSCC is a highly aggressive tumor that presents in older population with male predominance. The frequency of associated regional as well as distant metastases suggests that aggressive treatment is indicated and that systemic chemotherapy should be contemplated.     

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx

Most of the malignancies arising from the upper respiratory system are squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rarely seen high grade variant of SCC that carries a poor prognosis. In this article, we present a case of BSCC of the larynx. In addition, we provide a review of the relevant literature along with a discussion of the differential diagnosis.     

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the soft palate: case report

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a histologically distinct variant of squamous cell carcinoma. It occurs in various sites of the head and neck region and is believed to carry a dismal prognosis. The palate is a very rare site of BSCC development and only three cases have been reported in the international literature. In this report, we present a case of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the soft palate. The therapeutic strategy and histological findings are described in detail, including immunohistochemistry with the use of involucrin, an agent used for the first time for BSCC diagnosis. In addition, a brief review of the literature is presented.     

Expression of PCNA and bcl-2 in basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx: a controlled study

We investigated the difference in the biologic nature of typical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basaloid SCC (BSCC) of the larynx by studying proliferation and antiapoptotic markers. We performed an immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and bcl-2 protein in 15 patients with laryngeal BSCC and 15 stage- and site-matched controls with typical laryngeal SCC. We found no significant difference between the two groups in the PCNA index or the frequency of bcl-2 overexpression, nor did we find any significant difference in survival. Our findings indicate that the biologic nature of typical laryngeal SCC and laryngeal BSCC is similar. In addition, our follow-up data suggest that the clinical course of laryngeal BSCC is no worse than that of typical laryngeal SCC.     

Cetuximab and paclitaxel combination therapy for recurrent basaloid squamous cell carcinoma in the ethmoid sinus

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC), a histologically distinctive variant of squamous cell carcinoma comprising basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, is aggressive and shows a poor prognosis because of frequent lymph node invasion and distant metastases. To date few articles regarding chemotherapy for metastatic disease have been reported, thus feasible chemotherapy is not well established. Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody for epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), which has great efficacy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma due to EGFR signaling pathway blockage. Because BSCC also highly expresses EGFR, cetuximab may be effective for BSCC. We report here a first case of recurrent BSCC in the ethmoid sinus with intracranial extension treated with cetuximab-based chemotherapy, which revealed great response in a 40-year-old man. Positron emission tomography (PET) revealed no lymph node or distant metastasis. The patient underwent chemoradiotherapy 66 Gy in 33 fractions with triweekly 100 mg/m² cisplatin. However, 12 weeks after treatment completion PET revealed a residual tumor at the primary cancer site. Combination therapy with weekly paclitaxel and cetuximab was started, and complete response was observed 2 months from treatment initiation. The patient has maintained complete response for 32 months, and no tumor regrowth has been observed.     

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSC) is regarded as a variant of squamous cell carcinoma, but displays distinct morphological and biological features as well as a different clinical course. The tumor is frequently seen in the head and neck and is preferentially located in the larynx, especially in supraglottic sites. Ten patients with BSC of the supraglottic larynx were treated from 1991 to 1995 at the Medical Faculty of the University of Istanbul. Results of treatment were compared retrospectively with a control group consisting of 44 patients with well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas. Ages, ¶localizations, stages and treatment procedures were similar. In both groups mean survival, nodal involvement and distant metastases were comparable although the local ¶(laryngeal) recurrence rate in patients with early supraglottic (T2) disease in the BSC group after conservative partial surgery was distinct compared to the control group (P < 0.05). These results indicate that conservative surgery should be assessed with caution in patients with BSC, and postoperative irradiation be taken into consideration.     

Prognoses of oral basaloid squamous cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma: a comparison

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical and prognostic features in patients with basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC), poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (PDSCC), and well to moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (W/MSCC) of the oral cavity. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Referral tertiary center. PATIENTS: Seventeen patients with primary oral BSCC, 27 with PDSCC, and 27 with SCC. INTERVENTION: The 71 patients all had surgery and 52 had postoperative radiotherapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Recurrences and survival. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 52.4 months for patients with BSCC, 22.2 months for those with PDSCC, and 13.8 months for those with SCC. No statistically significant differences on survival were found among the BSCC, PDSCC, and SCC groups. The 5-year cancer-specific survival rates were 50% for patients with BSCC, 37% for those with PSCC, and 49% for those with W/MSCC (P =.71); the 5-year overall survival rates were 46% for patients with BSSC, 18% for those with PSCC, and 41% for those with W/MSCC (P =.25). Disease-free survival was not significantly different among the BSCC, PSCC, and W/MSCC groups (P =.57). The 5-year rate of disease-free survival was 40% for patients with BSCC, 37% for those with PSCC, and 53% for those with W/MSCC. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical course of BSCC is similar to the courses of PSCC and W/MSCC when clinical T and N classifications are matched. Prognosis does not differ for patients with BSCC of the oral cavity and those with conventional oral squamous cell carcinomas PSCC and W/MSCC.     

Carcinoma of the larynx in a child

Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx in children is a rare entity, only 21 cases have been reported in patients 10-years-old or younger. A 9-year-old girl presented because of dyspnea and mild hoarseness of one week duration. Laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy showed a supraglottic mass, which proved to be poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. No neck nodes or systemic metastasis were present. The tumor regressed with radiation therapy (6400 rads) but local recurrence and lung metastasis were evident 6 weeks later. Chemotherapy was refused by the parents and the patient died in one month. It is believed that squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx in children parallels that of adults in many respects including response to treatment. However, our attempt to save the larynx by avoiding surgery and using radiotherapy alone was not successful. Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx in children may be more aggressive than that of adults. The scarcity of cases impedes establishment of treatment protocols in children. Initial aggressive management using surgery, radiotherapy, and possibly chemotherapy may be warranted in children.     

Das sinonasale basaloid-squamöse Karzinom in Biopsien eines invertierten Papilloms

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare tumor representing an aggressive variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and arising from a common precursor cell. BSCC rarely originates from the sinonasal tract. We report on an 83-year-old woman with BSCC after multiple resections of an inverted papilloma (IP) of the left sinonasal tract. The tumor filled the nasal cavity completely and was infiltrating the ipsilateral frontal skull base and periorbita. Because of the tumor's expansion, the patient's age, and comorbidity, surgery was not performed, but primary radiotherapy was initiated. A possible association between sinonasal BSCC and IP, as implicated by the current case, must be further investigated. In any case, IP requires consequent endoscopic and, if necessary, radiological follow-up in order to detect recurrent disease or malignant transformation.     

Squamous Cell Carcinoma in HIV-Positive Patients Under Age 45

Eight patients 45 years of age and under (range, 29 to 45) with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck and infection with the human immunodeficiency virus are reported. Primary tumor sites include nasopharynx, oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx. Probes for the human papillomavirus were positive in two of the patients. Therapy consisted of surgery followed by radiation therapy in five patients, surgery alone in one patient, and radiation therapy in the remaining two patients. Follow-up ranged up to 2 years and revealed four deaths, three patients alive without disease, and one patient recently posttreatment with residual disease. The significance of the presence of the human papillomavirus in these individuals remains to be determined. The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck under age 45 is low, and whether there may be a higher incidence in HIV-positive patients cannot be determined from this small series.     

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal: case report

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare malignancy, with features of both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The tumor has a predilection for the upper aerodigestive tract, and has been suggested to behave more aggressively than squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). To the author’s knowledge, BSCC confined to the external auditory canal (EAC) has not been previously described. BSCC of EAC manifests similar characteristics as the conventional EAC cancer, presenting a mass with chronic otorrhea and itching sense. Excision of the tumor was accomplished by modified lateral temporal bone resection. This report describes the first case of BSCC in this location, and includes reviews of the pathologic and clinical aspects of this disease.     

Clinical and histopathological considerations for the diagnosis and treatment of verrucous carcinoma of the larynx

Verrucous carcinoma of the larynx is quite distinct from well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma has a characteristic morphology and specific clinical behavior. It accounts for approximately 1%-2% of all laryngeal carcinomas. However, difficulties are encountered clinically in separating verrucous carcinomas from keratoses, verruca vulgaris and squamous cell carcinomas with a verrucous appearance. Between 1962 and 1982, 1504 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx were diagnosed and treated by staff physicians in the Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis. Fifteen of these patients (1%) had verrucous carcinomas. These cases were studied in order to clarify any diagnostic problems, trace the biologic behavior of the tumors and report the results of the treatment used. Of these 15 patients, we were able to follow up 8. The latter had been treated only with surgery and none of them had received radiotherapy. One death occurred, but the patient died of other causes and remained free of cancer. Reports in the literature describe a high rate of recurrence of verrucous carcinomas following radiotherapy with occasional anaplastic transformation of tumors. No patients in our series developed a metastasis in the neck, indicating that neck dissection is not justified for patients with these neoplasms even though clinically enlarged neck nodes may be present.     

Unusual presentation of head and neck neoplasm

We have a 67-year-old Caucasian male presenting with a (T4, N1b, M0) Stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. He subsequently underwent a total laryngectomy and right radical neck dissection. It was only determined by the pathology report that the cervical nodes in the neck specimen obtained the associated disease, Hodgkin's (mixed cellular lymphoma), rather than the expected well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma found in the larynx. Metastatic work-up was unrevealing. Reviewing the English literature fails to reveal a similar case report of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx with Hodgkin's disease in the associated neck dissection. It was unfortunate that this patient died of a third pathology, cerebral hemorrhage, in the immediate post-op period.     

Is routine follow-up useful after combined-modality therapy for advanced head and neck cancer?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of routine follow-up in a selected group of patients with head and neck cancer. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study with follow-up of 5 years for all patients. PATIENTS: Three hundred two patients with advanced (stage II or IV) squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx were treated with curative intent with surgery and postoperative radiation therapy between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Survival after recurrence of the index tumor or the development of a second head and neck primary tumor. RESULTS: Overall actuarial 5-year survival was 56%. Relapse occurred in 119 patients, and salvage therapy was attempted in 49 patients. Only 2 patients survived to 5 years after relapse. CONCLUSION: In patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, routine follow-up is more important for evaluation of treatment results and emotional support than of benefit in improving patient survival.     

Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Nasal Cavity

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is often founded in the head and neck region. However, BSCC in the sinonasal tract is rare. We report here on the case of a 58-yr-old woman who presented with nasal obstruction and epistaxis. Computed tomography and examination of the nasal cavity revealed a tumor mass that originated from the right inferior turbinate with erosion of the nasal floor. The tumor that was attached to the inferior turbinate, the lateral nasal wall and the eroded right side hard palate, and so all this was resected. Histopathologic examination of the excised tumor confirmed BSCC in the nasal cavity. We report here on a nasal cavity BSCC that was treated with partial maxillectomy only.     

喉部乳头状鳞状细胞癌的临床病理特征分析--附1例报告及文献复习

目的 结合文献探讨喉部乳头状鳞状细胞癌即疣性癌的临床病理特征。方法 报道1例喉部乳头状鳞状细胞癌，就本病的临床生物学特征、病理、诊断、治疗及预后进行分析。结果 经手术及放疗后半年复查，肿瘤未复发。结论 喉部乳头状鳞状细胞癌是低度恶性肿瘤，临床因其病理特征而较难确诊，要求深部取材活检和HPV检查，治疗以手术切除加颈淋巴结清扫为主，术后可追加放疗。     

Clinical and histopathological considerations for the diagnosis and treatment of verrucous carcinoma of the larynx

Summary Verrucous carcinoma of the larynx is quite distinct from well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and has a characteristic morphology and specific clinical behavior. It accounts for approximately l%–2% of all laryngeal carcinomas. However, difficulties are encountered clinically in separating verrucous carcinomas from keratoses, verruca vulgaris and squamous cell carcinomas with a verrucous appearance. Between 1962 and 1982, 1504 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx were diagnosed and treated by staff physicians in the Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis. Fifteen of these patients (1%) had verrucous carcinomas. These cases were studied in order to clarify any diagnostic problems, trace the biologic behavior of the tumors and report the results of the treatment used. Of these 15 patients, we were able to follow up 8. The latter had been treated only with surgery and none of them had received radiotherapy. One death occurred, but the patient died of other causes and remained free of cancer. Reports in the literature describe a high rate of recurrence of verrucous carcinomas following radiotherapy with occasional anaplastic transformation of tumors. No patients in our series developed a metastasis in the neck, indicating that neck dissection is not justified for patients with these neoplasms even though clinically enlarged neck nodes may be present.On leave from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Kosovo, Prishtina, Yugoslavia     

Two sites of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: utility of loss of heterozygosity

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of distant metastasis and second primary tumors is increasing with improved locoregional control in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Traditionally, clinicopathologic evidence has been the gold standard used to distinguish distant metastasis from second primary tumors. We report a case in which loss of heterozygosity testing was used to clarify the clonal relationship between the 2 sites of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: A patient with squamous cell carcinoma in the larynx and mandible underwent loss of heterozygosity testing. RESULTS: The loss of heterozygosity testing confirmed that the mandibular cancer was a metastatic presentation of the laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that loss of heterozygosity testing can be useful in differentiating distant metastasis from second primary cancers in patients with 2 sites of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, consequently providing important prognostic and staging information.