title: [Neck metastases from an unknown primary tumor].
abstract: We evaluate 41 patients treated for cervical lymph node metastases from occult primary carcinomas. Minimum follow-up was two years. 18 patients had metastases from squamous cell carcinoma, 12 from undifferentiated and 11 from adenocarcinoma. The survival rate was best for patients treated with surgery and radiation. The survival rate was 66% for patients with squamous cell and undifferentiated carcinoma, compared with 20% for patients with adenocarcinoma. The survival rate was 85% for patients with N1 and N2A metastases (UICC 1987) from squamous cell and undifferentiated carcinoma, compared with 45% for patients with metastases classified as N2B-N3. The prognosis was better for patients with tumors in the upper 2/3 of the neck than for patients with metastases in the lower 1/3 of the neck. We emphasize the significance of fine-needle aspiration biopsy as a highly accurate, safe and valuable technique in diagnosing malignant tumors of the head and neck.
authors.affiliation: Ore-nese-halsavdelingen, Rikshospitalet, Oslo.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Loven
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boysen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis
vernacular_title: Metastase til halsen fra ukjent primaertumor.