Background and Objectives: This study was designed to review the incidence of skin involvement in the head and neck cancer. We also reviewed its pattern, treatment results, and prognostic significance of skin invasion and metastases. Materials
and
Methods: We carried out an retrospective evaluation of 41 patients who required resection of the facial or neck skin during surgery for their head and neck cancer in the last ten years. Patients with head and neck skin cancer were excluded from
this
study. Patients who developed skin involvement were evaluated with regard to the primary origin of tumor, the tumor stage, and the pattern of skin involvement, treatment and outcome. The cases were classified into four groups: firstly, a group
with
the
presence of skin scar made by previous biopsy; secondly, a group with tumor fixed to skin; thirdly, a group with skin resected with a sufficient resection marginal, and lastly a group with gross involvement of skin by tumor. Results: Among 41
patients
who required resection of the skin, patients with skin invasion were noted in 24 cases. Only one out of four cases of the biopsy group had skin involvement whereas a half of the fixed group had skin invasion. For the marginal group, only two
cases
had
invasion of skin. The treatment result of patients with skin involvement had poor prognosis compared to patients without skin involvement. In particular, patients with skin metastasis had extremely poor survival. Conclusions: Skin involvement in
the
head and neck cancer indicates a poor prognosis, and should not be considered for surgery.
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