• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2017

Background/Objective: The survival and recurrence pattern of the patients with primary cancer of the external auditory canal was evaluated. Materials & Methods: Seventeen patients with primary cancer of the external auditory canal from 2002 to 2013 was analyzed retrospectively. Overall survival, recurrence free survival, local recurrence free survival and distant metastasis free survival was calculated by Kaplan-Meyer's method. Results: Five year overall survival rate, 5 year recurrence free survival rate, 5 year local recurrence free survival rate and 5 year distant metastasis free survival rate were 49.3% 54.9%, 64.7% and 69.6% respectively. The recurrence pattern is different to the pathologic type, squamous cell carcinoma or adenoid cystic carcinoma. The patients with squamous cell carcinoma showed local recurrence and the patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma showed distant metastasis mainly. Conclusion: Primary cancer of external auditory canal showed different clinical course depend on the pathologic diagnosis.