[Correlation of cervical lymphatic metastasis to prognosis of T3-T4 glottic cancer]

The cervical lymphatic metastasis rate of glottic cancer is low, and has seldom been reported. This study was to explore the factors related to cervical lymphatic metastasis of T3-T4 glottic cancer, and analyze its correlation to prognosis.

Clinical data of 83 patients with T3-T4 glottic cancer, treated in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from 1992 to 2000, were reviewed retrospectively. The lymphatic metastasis rate, distribution of metastatic lymph nodes, influence factors of neck recurrence of cN0 glottic cancer, and correlation of cervical lymphatic metastasis to prognosis of T3-T4 glottic cancer were analyzed.

Overall lymphatic metastasis rate was 20.5%. The neck recurrence rate of cN0 patients was 14.3%. Most metastatic lymph nodes located at the ipsilateral levels II, III, and IV, while only 1 located at the contralateral level II. For cN0 patients, there was no difference in the neck recurrence rate between observation group and prophylactic cervical radiation group (P=0.772). Histopathologic differentiation affected the neck recurrence of cN0 patients (P=0.028); while T stage did not relate to the neck recurrence (P=0.217). The prognosis of cN+ patients was poorer than that of cN0 patients (P<0.001). The neck recurrence of CN0 patients did not affect the prognosis (P=0.460).

Most metastatic lymph nodes of T3-T4 glottic cancer locate at the ipsilateral levels II, III, and IV. Poor differentiation is significantly correlated to high risk of neck recurrence among cN0 patients. However, the recurrence does not affect the prognosis. Close observation should be done to the cervix of cN0 patients; while neck dissection should be done to cN+ patients.