Diagnosis and treatment outcomes in patients with squamous cell cancer metastases in lymph nodes of the neck with no detectable primary tumor

Diagnosis and treatment outcomes in 66 patients with squamous cell metastases in lymph nodes of the neck with no detectable primary tumor were analyzed. The divergences between primary cytologic and subsequent histologic findings were found in 34 %. The primary tumor was detected in 39,4 % of cases an average of 7 months after initial presentation. The most encouraging results were obtained after multimodality treatment including chemoradiotherapy and surgery as well as combination of radiation therapy and polychemotherapy. The 1- and 3-year survival rates were 91,7 % and 64,8 % in patients who received multimodality treatment and 87,5 % and 72,9 % in patients who received the combination of radiation therapy and polychemotherapy, respectively. The mean survival time was 44,6 months and 29,9 months, respectively.