[Clinical analysis of cervical metastatis from an unknown primary carcinoma]

From 1997 to 2004, 19 cases-18 men and 1 woman-with cervical lymph node metastasis from an unknown primary carcinoma were retrospectively investigated regarding the clinical observation and the treatment outcome. With respect to the histopathological types, 16 cases had squamous cell carcinoma, 2 cases had adenocarcinoma and 1 case had ductal carcinoma. As for the region of lymph node metastasis with maximum size, metastasis located in the upper deep cervical region arrounted for 84%. The presence of primary lesions was comfirmed in 11 cases (3 tonsil, 1 nasopharynx, 1 base of tongue, 2 hypopharynx, 1 esophagus, 1 larynx, 1 gallduct, 1 mammary gland) after the treatment of their metastatic leisions. Tonsillectomy and Blind biopsy were effective for 5 patients. Seventeen patients were treated with neck dissection. Eleven patients with neck dissection underwent radiotherapy. The overall 3-year survival rate as determined by the Kaplan-Meier method was 62%. The 3-year survival rate of the 17 cases whose metastatic leisions were treated with radical neck dissection was 66%. The 3-year survival rate of cases with known primary sites and cases with unknown primary sites after treatment were 55% and 83%, respectively. Radiotherapy with radical neck dissection was thought more effective than radical neck dissection for local and neck control.