title: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with radiation therapy: the impact of neck stage on local control.
abstract: There have been several recent reports in the literature to indicate that the risk of failure at the primary site following radiation therapy is greater in patients with a clinically positive neck as opposed to those with a clinically negative neck at diagnosis. This is an analysis of 526 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who were treated with irradiation alone to the primary lesion with curative intent. All patients had follow-up for at least 2 years and were evaluable for analysis of local control. For each site and T stage, no evidence was found to indicate that the primary lesions were controlled less often in patients whose necks were clinically positive than in those whose necks were clinically negative.
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009333:Neck; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy