Regression rate of metastatic neck lymph nodes after radiation treatment as a prognostic factor for local control

This study was carried out to assess whether the regression rate of neck node metastases after radiotherapy could be a prognostic factor for local control. Measurements of 283 neck nodes were made before and at completion of treatment and at intervals during 3 years follow-up. The results indicate that complete regression at the end of treatment correlates strongly with local control. A false negative rate of 0.1 was calculated. Partial regression seems to be a prognostic factor for failure in lymph nodes because of a true positive rate of 0.8. The results suggest that accurate measurements of the response of neck lymph nodes could give early prognostic information, useful for the choice of optimal treatment.