Interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy) for squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule: a multidisciplinary systematic review

Surgery is the first-line therapy for treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), and interventional radiotherapy is recommended when surgery is not feasible, contraindicated, or refused by the patient. To provide a multidisciplinary systematic review of the role of interventional radiotherapy for the treatment of cSCC of the nasal vestibule. A systematic search was performed; primary outcomes were tumour local control and overall survival. Acute toxicity, late toxicity, and functional cosmetic results, regardless of the scoring systems used, were secondary outcomes. After full-text review of the 92 papers initially identified, we included only 10 papers in the review; no randomized controlled trials or prospective studies were identified. Five studies reported five-year local control, with rates ranging between 69% and 97%. A high level of heterogeneity was observed regarding the methods used to assess treatment-related toxicity. Interventional radiotherapy may be considered for lesions specifically arising from the area of the nasal vestibule. A multidisciplinary approach might help to select cases that are potential candidates for conservative treatment according to the tumour and the patient's features.