title: General-hospital experience in treating neck nodes from unknown primaries.
abstract: Forty cases of cervical (excluding supraclavicular) node metastases from unknown primary tumors were observed at the medical oncology department of a large general hospital. Histologically they were epidermoid carcinoma (18 cases), undifferentiated carcinoma (16 cases) and adenocarcinoma (6 cases). In 8 patients the primary was subsequently diagnosed. Four patients were untreatable or refused treatment when diagnosed. The 3-year survival of the 36 treated patients was only 22% - indicating a poor prognosis is for this uncommon form of presentation. Patients should be treated as aggressively as possible in an attempt to eradicate the occult primary.
authors.affiliation: IST NAZL TUMORI,DIV SURG ONCOL B,VIA G VENEZIAN 1,I-20133 MILAN,ITALY. IST NAZL TUMORI,DIV DIAGNOST ONCOL,I-20133 MILAN,ITALY. IST NAZL TUMORI,OUTPATIENT CLIN,I-20133 MILAN,ITALY. OSPED NIGUARDA CA GRANDA,FALCK DIV MED ONCOL,MILAN,ITALY. IST NAZL TUMORI,DIV HEAD & NECK SURG ONCOL,I-20133 MILAN,ITALY.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zurrida
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cacioppo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gottardi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiesa