title: Outcome of patients treated surgically for lymph node metastases from cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a paucity of outcomes data for patients with lymph node metastasis from cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients from a tertiary care center with cutaneous SCCHN metastatic to parotid and or cervical lymph nodes were identified. Data were abstracted and analyzed using COX multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-one patients (47 men, and 4 women) with a median age of 73 years were identified. Eight patients (16%) had recurrent disease and 11 (22%) were immunosuppressed. Forty patients (71%) received adjuvant radiation therapy. Median overall survival was 23 months (range, 3-148 months). Recurrent disease was associated with higher risk of death (hazard ratio [HR], 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-6.9) and radiation therapy with reduced risk (HR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.06-0.54).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lymph node metastases from cutaneous SCCHN is associated with poor survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery-Head and Neck Service, Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Givi
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Brian S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Diggs
authors.forename: Mark K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Wax
authors.forename: Neil D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery; D010307:Parotid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016896:Treatment Outcome