title: [Clinical and histological latero-cervical nodal metastases in squamous oropharyngeal carcinoma].
abstract: The goal of our study was to estimate the presence (or absence) of latero-cervical nodal metastases (pN+), in patients with squamous oropharyngeal cancer, correlating this finding with T stage. We examined 255 patients out of 329 affected by squamous oropharyngeal cancer, from 1976 to 2005. The 255 patients examined were treated surgically (both T and N). As far as clinical latero-cervical nodal metastases were concerned, 215 patients (84%) were cN+, while 40% (16%) were cN-. The result of the histological examination showed that 82% of the neck dissections (both cN+ and cN-) actually had latero-cervical metastases, while the remaining patients had reactive lymph nodes. The false-positive (cN+ -->pN-) patients, were 14% while false-negative patients (cN- -->pN+) amounted to 63%. The correlation between T and pN+ of the patients classified as cN- showed that 24% of patients were T1, 44% T2, 32% T3, and none T4; the pN+ patients, who clinically manifested latero-cervical lymph-node metastases were: T1 8%, T2 15%, T3 37%, T4 40%. Analysis of these data led us to the conclusion that, in view of the high lymphophilia of squamous cancer in the oropharyngeal district, it would be advisable to treat N metastases, both cN+ and cN-, at any T stage of cancer, surgically or with chemo- or radiotherapy, according to the patient's performance status.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Otorinolaringoiatria, Dipartimento di Scienze Anestesiologiche e Chirurgiche Specialistiche, Universitâ degli Studi di Verona.
authors.forename: Valter
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sittoni
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minerva
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tonoli
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mavrogianni
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.forename: Anna Maria Rosa
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aragno
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D037981:Neck Dissection; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000379:methods; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies