title: Anaplastic carcinoma presenting with cervical lymphadenopathy.
abstract: We describe 50 patients with anaplastic carcinoma presenting with a mass in the neck. The diagnosis of anaplastic carcinoma was confirmed by immunocytochemistry to exclude very poorly differentiated squamous carcinomas, amelanotic melanoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The primary site was established immediately in 26 patients (25 in the head and neck; 1 in the lung); a further 4 had radiological evidence of a primary tumour in the lung. The primary site was established later in 1 patient, in the ethmoid sinuses. In 20 patients the primary site was never established. The commonest primary site was the nasopharynx. The basic treatment policy was radiotherapy, although 20% of patients with a known primary tumour, and 50% of those without, were untreated. The 2-year survival was about 30% in both groups, and did not differ significantly. Prognostic factors for survival were age, performance status, and T status of the primary tumour. Sex, node status, node level, and laterality of nodes, were not.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Durham
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rothery
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dalby
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Stell
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate