The extent of parotidectomy in the management of regional metastatic disease is controversial. This systematic review aimed to appraise data from studies evaluating superficial and total parotidectomy in metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and cutaneous malignant melanoma of the head and neck.

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library was performed. The protocol was registered with Prospero (CRD42020217962).

A total of five studies evaluated cutaneous malignant melanoma. Only one compared outcomes of superficial and total parotidectomy: they found higher parotid area recurrence following superficial parotidectomy. Seven studies reported outcomes following cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; some studies found higher regional recurrence and reduced survival in total parotidectomy, but there was likely selection bias in these studies. Others found no difference in survival between superficial and total parotidectomy.

The effect of the extent of parotidectomy on outcomes is unclear in cutaneous malignant melanoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. This systematic review highlights the need for well-designed studies to direct better care.