2003 Volume 28 Issue 1 Pages 54-58
We analyzed clinicopathologically patients with upper gingival carcinoma, especially those with cervical lymph node metastasis. This study included 35 patients who had undergone treatment for upper gingival carcinoma from 1975 to 2001. Clinically suspected node positive (N(+)) cases were appeared in 7 of the cases (20.0%). The TNM classification (UICC) was T4N1 and T4N2 in 3 each patients, with all patients classified as M0. Histopathologically confirmed node positive (pN(+)) cases appeared in 4 of 7 N(+) cases and 4 cases of secondary metastasis, for a total of 8 cases. A high prevalence of pN(+) cases were found among the endophytic, and 4C types. Regarding treatment modality, preoperative chemotherapy was administered to 30 of the cases. Chemotherapy was administered intra-venously in 8 cases and intra-arterially in 13 cases. Among patients treated intra-venously, there were no cases demonstrating neck metastasis ; however, among those treated intra-arterially, there was secondary metastasis in 3 cases. The 5-year cumulative survival rate was 81.3% overall and 62.5% among the pN(+) cases. Uncontrolled sites in pN(+) cases consisted of cervical lymph node metastasis in one case, and distant metastasis in another case.
