Supraclavicular lymph node metastases in cervical cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcome and prognostic factors of patients with supraclavicular lymph node (SCLN) involvement at primary diagnosis.


METHODS
We reviewed the medical records of cervical cancer patients primarily treated at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 1987 and 2005. Thirty-three patients with histologically confirmed SCLN metastasis at primary diagnosis were eligible for analysis. Clinical and pathological features were analyzed for association with outcome.


RESULTS
The 3- and 5-year survival rates of patients with SCLN metastasis were 16.5% and 16.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed the serum level of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) < 15 ng/ml at initial diagnosis (p = 0.021) and staging/restaging including [18F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) (p = 0.006) to be associated with a better prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary SCLN metastasis in cervical cancer is not incurable. The benefit from PET findings might help in selecting appropriate patients for curative primary and/or salvage treatment.
Qiu
J T
JT
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Ho
K C
KC
Lai
C H
CH
Yen
T C
TC
Huang
Y T
YT
Chao
A
A
Chang
T C
TC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001365:Axilla; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000556:secondary*; D002968:Clavicle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013624:Taiwan; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D016387:Women's Health