[The treatment results of regional metastases in advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinomas].

Unlabelled: Metastases from primary laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers to cervical lymph nodes is of great importance in designing treatment schemes. The aim of this study was to explain: (1) Do site of primary tumor, its stage and histological differentiation have significant influence on formation metastases to lymphatic nodes of the neck; (2) Do the lymph nodes metastases influence on results of treatment?

Materials And Methods: We have analyzed records of 586 patients with advanced cancer of larynx and hypopharynx, who were treated by surgery between 1975 and 1990 in Department of Otolaryngology Medical University of Warsaw The clinical stages of cancer was defined according WHO classification (1987).

Results: cancer of the larynx was diagnosed in 477 cases and in 109 cases--of hypopharynx. The lymph nodes metastases were diagnosed in 152 (32%) cases with laryngeal carcinomas and in 97 (89%) cases with hypopharyngeal carcinomas. In every case the presence of unilateral metastases in lymphatic nodes of the neck was the reason of radical neck dissection, in bilateral metastases radical neck dissection was applied at one side of the neck and functional neck dissection on the second side.

Conclusions: Lymphatic metastases in laryngeal cancer are related to: site of primary tumor, extension of primary tumor and histologic differentiation. The metastases to lymph nodes in cancer of hypopharynx are diagnosed in the greater part, independently from progression of tumor. Presence of metastases in lymphatic nodes influence significantly on estimation of the treatment independently from progression of tumor. It was state that the best results give the method of combined treatment: the surgery and postoperative radiotherapy.