title: Effectiveness of radiochemotherapy on lymph node metastases in patients with stage IV oropharyngeal cancer.
abstract: Radiochemotherapy plays a leading role in the treatment of patients with advanced squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the oropharynx. The aim of the present study was to estimate its effectiveness on lymph node (LN) metastases. Seventeen patients with advanced UICC stage IV oropharyngeal SCC (1xT2, 4xT3, 12xT4, 2xN1, 15xN2) were observed prospectively. They were treated with radiochemotherapy (total radiation doses 60-70.6 Gy). One to four months after neck dissection (ND) was performed. Specimens were histologically examined for metastases according to the neck levels obtained from. Local control was achieved in 14/17 (82.4%) patients and regional-in 10/17 (58.8%) patients. Of 566 LN studied, 29 exhibited signs of involvement. Two from 29 were found in neck level I, 20/29 in II, 6/29 in III and 1/29 in IV. In 13/29 LN the metastases had completely regressed under treatment whereas 16/29 LN (7 patients) contained vital tumoral tissue. The observed high incidence of vital LN metastases, which abide the radiochemotherapy, advocates further studies, concerning the value of planed ND after radiochemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Philipps University of Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 3, Marburg 35037, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikolay R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Sapundzhiev
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vacha
authors.forename: Anja A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Dünne
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Engenhart-Cabillic
authors.forename: Jochen A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents