Introduction: Few studies have examined prognostic factors that have an impact on outcomes in anterior skull base surgery by multivariate analysis.
Methods: We retrospectively examined our institution's skull base experience from 1973-2000.
Results: During this time, 166 patients underwent an anterior skull base resection for malignancy (median age, 53 years; range, 6-92 years). The 5-year relapse-free and disease-specific survival was 41% and 57% (median follow-up, 53 months). Multivariate analysis found that dural invasion, primary histologic diagnosis, and margin status had a significant impact on relapse-free and disease-specific survival.
Conclusions: These data indicate that patients with anterior skull base malignancies are treated successfully with skull base surgery. Patients demonstrating adverse prognostic variables such as dural invasion, adverse histologic findings, and/or positive margins should be considered for the addition of adjuvant therapy or innovative therapies as they become available in the future.
Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 25: 515-520, 2003