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Treatment and survival outcomes of ceruminous carcinomas of the external auditory canal: a SEER database analysis and literature review

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Abstract

Ceruminous carcinomas of the external auditory canal (EAC), encompassing adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), ceruminous adenocarcinoma (CA), and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), are extremely rare with little known regarding the influence of demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment on survival. This study aimed to summarize existent data and describe prognostic factors affecting survival in ceruminous carcinoma. Cases of ceruminous carcinoma of the EAC in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were analyzed to provide demographic, cancer-related, and treatment data and assess their influence on disease-specific and overall survival. A literature review was also performed. No significant difference in overall survival (OS) existed for localized versus regional disease, tumor type, or use of radiation therapy. In those with ACC, distant disease had a lower OS compared to regional disease. On review of the literature, local recurrence was a common finding with a low risk for nodal metastasis in ACC and CA. In conclusion, local recurrence was common despite aggressive surgical intervention (± radiation therapy); overall survival was unaffected by radiation therapy, tumor type, or local versus regional disease; and more cases of MEC are needed for analysis.

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Availability of data and material

Data for this study are openly available in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database or by inquiry to the corresponding author.

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Funding

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA

    Brian Wanner

  2. Division of Dermatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State Officenter Gahanna, 540 Officenter Place Suite 240, Columbus, OH, 43230, USA

    Kyle Rismiller & David R. Carr

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  1. Brian Wanner
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  2. Kyle Rismiller
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  3. David R. Carr
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by KR and DRC. The first draft of the manuscript was written by BW and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to David R. Carr.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest. SEER contains publicly available, de-identified data making informed consent and institutional review board approval unnecessary.

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This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was exempt from institutional review board approval by The Ohio State University Human Research Protection Program.

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Wanner, B., Rismiller, K. & Carr, D.R. Treatment and survival outcomes of ceruminous carcinomas of the external auditory canal: a SEER database analysis and literature review. Arch Dermatol Res 314, 583–591 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-021-02257-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-021-02257-4

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