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Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the ear can be one of the most difficult skin cancers to treat. The recurrence rate and the chance of metastasis to regional lymph nodes are thought to be much higher than for SCC of any other cutaneous site. Investigators from a plastic surgery unit in England studied 54 SCCs of the ear for the development of local and lymph node recurrence. Preauricular and external auditory canal SCCs were excluded. Surgical procedures included wedge excision, excision with primary closure, and skin graft or flap. No patient had evidence of lymph node involvement at the time of surgery. Patients were followed up for less than 1 to 3 years.
Six patients (11.1%) had incomplete excision margins at the time of the initial surg…