title: Value of neck dissection in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary.
abstract: Lymph node metastases of cancer of an unknown primary (CUP syndrome) are responsible for 3-5% of the malignant diseases in the head and neck area. More than 70% of these patients show lymph node metastases of an unknown squamous cell carcinoma. The survival depends immediately on number and location of lymph node metastases. For a curative approach modified radical neck dissection combined with postoperative radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy should be considered in N1-N3 lymph node status. A radical neck dissection with postoperative radiation therapy should only be approved in cases of infiltration of the internal jugular vein, the accessory nerve and/or the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The different prognosis of patients with upper cervical and lower cervical lymph nodes should influence the indication and the extent of a neck dissection in the contralateral N0 neck.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde der Philipps-Universität Marburg. j.a.werner@mailer.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Dünne
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011379:Prognosis