Neck Lymph Node Metastases from an Unknown Primary Tumor (original) (raw)
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Radiotherapy and Oncology, 1998
During the 20-year period under study, 125 squamous cell carcinoma cases were detected among 234 patients with cervical lymph node metastases from an unknown primary tumour diagnosed in Slovenia. Fifty-eight patients were treated by surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, 56 of whom were eligible for follow-up and treatment evaluation. There were six females and 50 males ranging in age from 33 to 81 years (median 56 years). Neck dissection was performed in 48 patients, while eight patients underwent extirpation of a single lymph node metastasis. On histopathological examination, disease was assessed as pN1 in six patients, pN2 in 37 patients and pN3 in 13 patients. The degree of tumour differentiation was G1 in one patient, G2 in 26 patients, G3 in 22 patients and GX in seven patients. Extracapsular tumour spread was found in 37 out of 48 examined specimens. Postoperatively, the irradiation field covered different sites of possible occult primary in 48 patients and in eight patients it was limited to the involved side of the neck. The median tumour doses were 59 and 55 Gy, respectively. After a median follow-up of 8.6 years, a total of five (9%) primary tumours were subsequently discovered, all in the head and neck region. Twenty-three (41%) patients were alive without evidence of disease and 14 (25%) patients died due to cancer-unrelated causes. Disease-related deaths occurred in 19 (34%) patients, the cause of death being primary tumour in three patients, advanced nodal disease in 10 patients and distant metastases with no evidence of persistent tumour in the head and neck region in six patients. The 5- and 10-year disease-specific survival rates were 66% and 52%, respectively, and the overall survival rates were 52% and 22%, respectively. The patients' survival significantly correlated (P < 0.05) with extracapsular tumour spread and the extent of the irradiation field. With acceptable toxicity, a superior control rate of neck disease and survival results favourably comparable to those reported elsewhere and obtained by a single modality approach, our study supports the use of combined therapy. In patients with a poor clinical and histopathological profile a more aggressive treatment approach exploiting chemotherapy seems to be justified.
Strahlentherapie Und Onkologie Organ Der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft Et Al, 2005
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Up to 10% of all neck lymph node metastases present without a known primary site. The optimal treatment strategy for these patients is still undefined. The purpose of this retrospective analysis is to assess the outcome in patients with neck metastases from an unknown primary tumor (CUP). Furthermore, prognostic factors and treatment modalities are discussed.PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1984 to 2003, 28 patients with squamous cell neck metastases from a CUP were treated at the authors' institution. In 17 patients, neck dissection (twelve radical, five modified radical) was performed. In that case, adjuvant radiotherapy was carried out with a mean of 56.7 Gy. In eleven patients, only biopsies were done. These patients received definitive radiotherapy with a mean of 66.8 Gy. In summary, 25 patients received extended radiotherapy including both sides of the neck and potential mucosal primary sites. Additional chemotherapy was administered to five patients.RESULTS: The duration of follow-up was 4.1-189.5 months (median 45.1 months). After this period of time, ten patients (36%) remained alive. 5-year overall survival was 40.1%, neck control rate 72.7%. No subsequent primary could be detected. Extracapsular extension and surgery had significant influence on prognosis. Grade 3 toxicity (mucositis or skin reactions) was seen in three patients; no hematologic toxicity > grade 2 was observed. 19 patients suffered from grade 2 xerostomia.CONCLUSION: With radical surgery followed by radiotherapy good survival rates in patients with neck metastases from a CUP can be obtained. Whether limited radiotherapy might be equal to extended irradiation and can reduce side effects, must be shown in ongoing clinical trials.
Head & Neck, 2013
Although uncommon, cancer of an unknown primary (CUP) metastatic to cervical lymph nodes poses a range of dilemmas relating to optimal treatment. The ideal resolution would be a properly designed prospective randomized trial, but it is unlikely that this will ever be conducted in this group of patients. Accordingly, knowledge gained from retrospective studies and experience from treating patients with known head and neck primary tumors form the basis of therapeutic strategies in CUP. This review provides a critical appraisal of various treatment approaches described in the literature. Emerging treatment options for CUP with metastases to cervical lymph nodes are discussed in view of recent innovations in the field of head and neck oncology and suitable therapeutic strategies for particular clinical scenarios are presented. For pN1 or cN1 disease without extracapsular extension (ECE), selective neck dissection or radiotherapy offer high rates of regional control. For more advanced neck disease, intensive combined treatment is required, either a combination of neck dissection and radiotherapy, or initial (chemo)radiotherapy followed by neck dissection if a complete response is not recorded on imaging. Each of these approaches seems to be equally effective. Use of extensive bilateral neck/mucosal irradiation must be weighed against toxicity, availability of close follow-up with elective neck imaging and guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) when appropriate, the human papillomavirus (HPV) status of the tumor, and particularly against the distribution pattern (oropharynx in the majority of cases) and the emergence rate of hidden primary lesions (<10% after comprehensive workup). The addition of systemic agents is expected to yield similar improvement in outcome as has been observed for known head and neck primary tumors.
Strahlentherapie und Onkologie, 2002
Background: 2-year results of a German multicenter randomized trial showed that accelerated chemoradiation with MMC/5-FU to 70.6 Gy is more effective than accelerated radiation to 77.6 Gy alone at equivalent levels of acute and late radiation morbidity. Frequency, histopathology and impact on local tumor control of selective lymph node dissection were analyzed. Patients and Methods: Between February 1996 and October 2000 at Tübingen University 42 randomized patients plus 45 nonrandomized patients with stage III/IV MO head and neck cancer were treated according to this protocol. After completion of hyperfractionated accelerated (chemo-)radiation a selective lymph node dissection was performed, if the primary tumor was in complete remission and clinical plus computed tomography proved residual lymph node disease. 17 of 38 patients with residual node metastasis underwent uni-or bilateral selective node dissection, the remaining patients had residual primary tumors, clinical deterioration or refused neck dissection. Results: After a median follow-up of 26 months, the Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a 2-year overall survival of 49%, disease-specific survival of 64% and loco-regional tumor control of 60%, respectively. 3-year loco-regional tumor control in randomized patients was 52% compared to 58% in non-randomized patients (log rank p = 0.23). 2-year loco-regional tumor control in stage cT4cN0 was 76% compared to 57% in cT2-4 cN1-3 tumors. Subgroup analysis of patients with involved nodes revealed a 2-year loco-regional tumor control of 74% after complete remission of primary tumor and neck disease, 53% after complete remission of primary tumor and partial remission of neck disease. In patients with selective lymph node dissection loco-regional tumor control was 62%. Histopathological examination showed viable tumor in eight of 17 patients. Conclusions: Selective lymph node dissection of residual neck masses after completion of hyperfractionated accelerated radio-(chemo-)therapy is likely to contribute to loco-regional tumor control in advanced head and neck cancer.
Radiation Oncology, 2020
PurposeTo analyze management and outcomes following (chemo)radiation therapy in patients with cervical lymph node metastases from an unknown primary site (CCUP) in a large single-center cohort.MethodsBetween 2008 and 2019, 58 patients with CCUP were treated with (chemo)radiation therapy at the University of Freiburg Medical Center and were included in this analysis. Overall survival (OS), locoregional progression-free survival (PFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The use of diagnostic procedures and their impact on oncological outcomes was analyzed by Cox regression, and treatment-related toxicities were quantified.ResultsMedian follow-up was 29.9 months (range 4.6–121.9). Twenty-one patients (36.2%) received definitive RT, 35 (60.3%) underwent adjuvant RT, and 2 (3.4%) were treated for oligometastatic disease. Concurrent chemotherapy was prescribed in 40 patients (69.0%). 89.6% of patients completed the prescribed RT, and 65.0% completed the prescribed simultaneous chemotherapy. Locoregional recurrence was observed in 7 patients (12.1%) and distant metastases in 13 cases (22.4%). OS was 81,1, 64.9% and 56,6% after 1, 3 and 5 years, respectively.Univariate analysis of age, gender, extracapsular spread, tumor grading, neck dissection, diagnostic utilization of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography and concomitant chemotherapy showed no effect on OS (p > 0.05 for all), while smoking was significantly associated with decreased survival (p < 0.05). There was a trend towards impaired OS for patients with advanced nodal status (pN3) (p = 0.07). Three patients (5.2%) experienced grade 3 radiation dermatitis, and 12 (22.4%) developed grade 3 and 1 (1.7%) grade 4 mucositis.ConclusionsRT of the panpharynx and cervical lymph nodes with concurrent chemotherapy in case of risk factors demonstrated good locoregional control, but the metachronous occurrence of distant metastases limited survival and must be further addressed.
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 2020
Purpose Debate on the extent of treatment of neck metastasis of cancer of unknown primary tumors (CUPs) is still ongoing. In two Dutch tertiary referral centers, the post-surgical radiation target volume changed from the bilateral neck including the pharyngeal axis to the unilateral neck only, in the course of the last decade. This study aims to investigate the outcome of patients with CUP before and after de-escalation of post-surgical radiotherapy. Methods Data of two Dutch tertiary referral centers were merged. Disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and regional control rate (RCR) of 80 patients diagnosed with CUP (squamous cell and undifferentiated carcinomas) between 1990 and 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Results Thirty patients received bilateral neck and pharyngeal axis radiotherapy and 42 patients ipsilateral radiotherapy only. In another eight patients, the postsurgical radiation target volume was expanded to the contralateral neck or to the pharyngeal axis, due to suspicious lesions on imaging. The 5-year DFS, OS and RCR were 60%, 51.2%, and 80%, respectively, in the total patient population. RCR did not differ in patients treated with ipsilateral as compared to bilateral radiotherapy nor did 5-year OS and DFS. No tumors occurred in the pharyngeal axis. Conclusion In this study, omitting elective treatment of the contralateral neck and pharyngeal axis did not lead to a decrease in locoregional control or survival rates when treating patients with CUP.
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 2007
Purpose: The management of patients with cervical lymph-node metastases from unknown primary site (UPS) remains a matter of discussion. This study aimed to analyze the results and prognostic factors in a series of patients treated with radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Data from 113 patients who presented with cervical lymph nodes metastases from UPS treated from 1980 to 2004 were reviewed. Eighty-seven patients (77.0%) were squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Ninety-one patients were treated with curative and 22 with palliative intent. Fifty-nine of 113 patients (52.2%) received surgery followed by radiotherapy and 54 of 113 (47.8%) received radiotherapy alone. Radiotherapy was delivered to the neck and pharyngeal mucosa in 67 patients and to the ipsilateral or bilateral neck in 45 patients. Twenty-one patients (18.5%) also received chemotherapy. Results: The 5-year overall survival rates were 40.7% for the entire group and 46.6% for the SCC subgroup. The occurrence of the occult primary was observed in 23 of 113 patients (20.3%), 19 (82.6%) within the head and neck region. At multivariate analysis, treatment with curative intent and extensive irradiation of bilateral neck and pharyngeal mucosa were favorable prognostic factors for the whole series, and treatment with curative intent, extensive irradiation of bilateral neck and pharyngeal mucosa, and absence of extracapsular spread were favorable prognostic factors for the SCC subgroup. Conclusions: Patients with cervical lymph node metastases from UPS have a similar prognosis to those affected by other head and neck malignancies. Curative treatment strategies including neck dissection and extensive irradiation by three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy resulted in significantly better outcomes. Ó 2007 Elsevier Inc.
Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology
To investigate the optimal treatment method and risk factor of neck node metastasis from unknown primary tumors (NUP) treated by radiotherapy. Methods Retrospective case study based on a multi-institutional survey was conducted by the Japanese Radiation Oncology Study Group. Patients pathologically diagnosed as having NUP from 1998 to 2007 were identified. Univariate and multivariate analyses of overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), neck progression free survival (NPFS) and mucosal progression free survival (MPFS) were evaluated. 3 Results In total, 130 patients with median age of years were included. Nodal stages N1, N2a, N2b and N2c were observed for 10, 26, 43, 12 and 39 patients, respectively. All the patients received radiotherapy (RT) with neck dissection in 60 and with chemotherapy in 67 cases. The median doses to the metastatic nodes, prophylactic neck and prophylactic mucosal sites were 60.0Gy, 50.4 Gy and 50.4 Gy, respectively. The median follow-up period for surviving patients was 42 months. Among 12 patients, occult primary tumors in the neck region developed after radiotherapy. The 5-year OS, PFS, NPFS and MPFS were 58.1%, 42.4%, 47.3% and 54.9%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that lower N stage (N1-2b), non-bulky node (< 6 cm) and negative extracapsular extension (ECE) status were the factors associated with favorable OS, PFS, NPFS and MPFS. Radical surgery proved to be a favorable factor of OS, NPFS and MPFS. On multivariate analysis, lower N stage and negative ECE status were correlated with improved survival. Conclusions Lower nodal stage and negative ECE status showed a favorable impact on survival and disease control in patients with NUP treated by radiotherapy.