Implications of head and neck cancer treatment failure in the neck.
OBJECTIVE
Study the survival of patients with cervical lymphatic squamous cell carcinoma recurrence.


METHODS
Review of tumor registry database.


METHODS
Academic health science center.


METHODS
Forty-seven isolated neck recurrence patients identified from 224 recurrences from a total of 1291 patients treated between 1998 and 2007. The main outcome measurements were neck lymph nodal recurrence, treatment-specific survival, and overall survival.


RESULTS
A total of 47 patients had neck recurrence; 10 of the neck recurrence patients (21.3%) had regional disease (N+) at initial presentation. Median survival for patients with neck recurrence was 14.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 8.6-18.1 mo), and five-year survival for this group was five percent (95% CI 0%-30%). Neck dissection salvage therapy for neck recurrence resulted in the best survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Neck dissection as a salvage therapy for neck recurrence resulted in the best survival, and there was no survival benefit in terms of whether a patient had a neck dissection or not as his or her initial therapy.
Deschamps
David R
DR
University of Arkansas, College of Medicine, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
Spencer
Horace J
HJ
Kokoska
Mimi S
MS
Spring
Paul M
PM
Vural
Emre A
EA
Stack
Brendan C
BC
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D017211:Treatment Failure