[Treatment and outcome of cervical lymph nodal metastases of unknown primary sites].
OBJECTIVE
To ascertain the optimal management of cervical nodal metasta of unknown primary sites.


METHODS
The clinical data of 114 patients of cervical nodal metastases of unknown primary sites were retrospectively analyzed.


RESULTS
For metatic masses of the upper and/or middle part of the neck, the optimal approach varied depnding on the histologic type. Poorly-differentiated carcinoma was treated with radiotherapy, squamous-cell carcinoma was treated with radiotherapy plus surgery, while papillary adenocarcinoma was treated by combined radical thyroidectomy. Their 5-year survival rate was 45.2%, 53.8% and 62.5%, respectively. For metastatic masses in the supraclavicular region, chemotherapy was the first treatment of choice in all patients. In only 12 of the 114 patients (11.2%) the primary sites were found in the follow-up period.


CONCLUSIONS
For patients with cervical lymph node metastases from unknown primary sites, the management should be given according to the location of lymph node involved and histopathologic type of the tumor.
Yin
Y
Y
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Institute (Hospital), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021.
Tang
P
P
Xu
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D015996:Survival Rate