We clinicopathologically studied 19 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and secondary metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes who had undergone radical neck dissection between 1978 and 1995 at our department.
The results were as follows:
1. Secondary metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes was found in 12.1% of N 0 cases.
2. A higher frequency of secondary metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes was detected in patients with primary lesions of the gingiva of the upper jaw and of the tongue.
3. As for the distribution of involved lymph nodes, the majority were recognized at Level 2, Level 3, or both.
4. The five-year-survival rate was 48.9% in patients with secondary metastasis.
5. Metastatic lymph nodes showed intranodal proliferation in 71.1% of cases and 28.9% of extranodal spread in 28.9% of cases.
6. In patients with of high grade malignancy of the primary lesion, the frequency of lymph nodes metastasis and tumor spread to the cervical lymph nodes was higher than in patients with other grades of malignancy.
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