title: Neck and mediastinal node dissection in pharyngolaryngeal tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study sought to determine the necessity and prognostic impact of superior mediastinum (SM) dissection in advanced upper aerodigestive tract squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was made of the records of 31 patients who had undergone (pharyngo-) laryngectomy for advanced SCC. Statistical analysis examined correlations between the presence of SM lymph node metastasis and clinical factors, with a significance threshold of P<0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive cervical and/or SM lymph nodes were found in 20 cases, including six with isolated positive SM nodes. Positive SM nodes were found in none of the patients with laryngeal SCC, versus six of the 13 patients with hypopharyngeal SCC, where they were associated with tumors greater than 35 mm. Presence of paratracheal lymph node metastasis showed a strong but not statistically significant association with the primary site (larynx vs. hypopharynx: P=0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present series, advanced laryngeal carcinoma was never associated with positive SM nodes, whereas advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma showed a trend in favor of paratracheal lymph node involvement.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Department, hôpital Vésale, CHU Charleroi, rue de Gozée 706, 6110 Montigny-le-Tilleul, Belgium. Didier.dequanter@pandora.be
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dequanter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahla
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zouaoui Boudjeltia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paulus
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lothaire
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000379:methods*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010611:Pharyngectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015996:Survival Rate