Clinical nodal stage is an independently significant predictor of distant failure in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of clinical nodal stage on distant metastasis (DM) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx (SCCL). METHODS: Six hundred sixty-two previously untreated SCCL patients treated at a tertiary care cancer center from January 1984 to December 1998 were eligible for analysis. The end point of interest was development of DM following treatment. Distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method; predictors of outcome were identified by univariate and multivariate analysis. The primary tumor site was glottic in 55%, supraglottic in 40%, and trans/sub glottic in 5%; 40% had locoregionally advanced (stage III/IV) tumors. At initial presentation, 25% of patients (12% N1, 11% N2, and 2% N3) had clinically metastatic nodes. RESULTS: DM were recorded in 67 patients (10%; lung, 45%; soft tissue, 13%; bone, 10%; multiple sites, 28%). The median time to DM was 18 months (range, 1-109). With a median follow-up of 60 months, the 5-year DMFS was 88%. Even after accounting for the type of index treatment, the only significant predictor of worse DMFS on multivariate analysis was a higher clinical N stage (P < 0.0001). The relative risk for DM was 0.5 (95% CI, 0.2-1.4; P = NS) for cN1, 3.2 (95% CI, 1.7-5.9; P < 0.0001) for cN2, and 7.5 (95% CI, 3.1-17.9; P < 0.0001) for cN3 disease compared with clinically N0 patients. CONCLUSION: Regardless of the index treatment modality, primary tumor site, or T stage, a higher clinical N stage at the time of presentation independently and significantly increases the risk of DM in patients with SCCL.

publication date

  • September 1, 2003

Research

keywords

  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
  • Laryngeal Neoplasms

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC1422706

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0842289160

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/01.sla.0000086660.35809.8a

PubMed ID

  • 14501507

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 238

issue

  • 3