Lateral temporal bone resection for cutaneous carcinomas of the external auditory canal and peri-auricular region.

To evaluate the outcomes for patients after lateral temporal bone resection surgery for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, and to ascertain predictors of survival and treatment failure. A retrospective review was conducted of the medical records for all patients who underwent lateral temporal bone resection for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma between 2007 and 2019 in Western Australia. Thirty-seven patients underwent lateral temporal bone resection surgery. Median follow-up duration was 22 months. Twenty-five patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 12 had basal cell carcinoma. The overall survival rate at two years for patients with squamous cell carcinoma was 68.5 per cent. Pre-operative facial nerve involvement (determined via clinical or radiological evidence) was identified as a predictor of mortality (hazard ratio = 3.411, p = 0.006), with all patients dying before two years post-operatively. Locoregional tumour control was achieved in 81 per cent of cases (n = 30). Lateral temporal bone resection offers acceptable local control rates and survival outcomes. Caution should be used in offering this surgery to patients with clinical or radiological evidence of facial nerve involvement because of the relatively poorer survival outcomes in this subgroup.