Prognostic Factors for Orbital Exenteration, Local Recurrence, Metastasis, and Death From Disease in Conjunctival Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: Information regarding risk of metastasis and disease-related death (DD) from conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is relatively scarce. We explored prognostic factors for orbital exenteration, local recurrence, nodal metastasis, and DD in patients with conjunctival SCC. Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: All consecutive patients with conjunctival SCC treated by the senior author at MD Anderson Cancer Center during1999-2018 were included. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival differences were assessed using 2-sided log-rank tests. Results: The study included 44 patients (24 men, 20 women); median age was 64 years (range, 40-90). T categories at presentation were as follows: Tis, 20 patients; T2, 8; T3, 9; and T4, 7. Eighteen patients (41%) had tumors exclusively in the bulbar conjunctiva; 26(59%) had nonbulbar conjunctival involvement. The median follow-up time was 29.2 months (95% CI: 21.8-44.3). Orbital exenteration was performed in 10 cases (23%) and was associated with T3 or more advanced disease at presentation (p < 0.001). Seven patients developed local recurrence during follow up. History of organ transplant correlated with local recurrence and orbital exenteration (p < 0.01). Nodal metastasis was present in 1 patient at presentation and occurred in 3 patients during follow up, for an overall nodal metastasis rate of 9% (4/44). By end of follow up, 2 patients had died of disease, 4 had died of other causes, and 38 were alive with no evidence of disease. The results suggest that both orbital exenteration and nodal metastasis are independent variables associated with DD. Conclusions: In patients with conjunctival SCC, orbital exenteration and nodal metastasis are associated with DD and organ transplantation is associated with orbital exenteration.