Maxillary Sinus Squamous CellCarcinoma: Clinical Perspectivesand Advancing Therapeutics AcrossDisease Stages

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the maxillary sinus is a rare but very aggressive cancer in the paranasal sinus
area. Clinical outcomes are mostly affected by tumor stage diagnosis, histopathological features, and patientrelated
factors. Early-stage tumors (T1, T2) usually respond good to combined treatment while advanced lesions
(T3, T4) show wide local invasion, reduced survival, and more chance of recurrence. This review discusses
important prognostic factors, treatment options, and changes in the management of maxillary sinus SCC. Variable
such as lymph node status, tumor differentiation, invasion depth, and molecular marker was considered. Treatment
strategies were analyzed according to tumor spread, risk of relapse, and patient condition. Surgical resection with
curative aim remains the main treatment, especially for tumor limited to the maxillary sinus. In patients with
high-risk features, adjuvant radiotherapy is often used to reduce local failure. For advanced or recurrent disease,
systemic therapy like platinum-based chemotherapy such as cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil is commonly used. Target
therapy including epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor cetuximab and immune therapy like pembrolizumab
and nivolumab also shows benefit in some patients. However, the long-term outcome still depends mostly on
the stage at diagnosis. Even with improvement in treatment, the management of maxillary SCC still faces many
problems, mainly with late-stage disease. More studies on molecular target drugs and immune-based treatment
may help to improve survival in patients with aggressive or treatment-resistant tumors