Metachronous mediastinal and lung metastases from head and neck cancer: A case series, literature review and considerations for treatment.

Metachronous mediastinal and lung metastases (MMLM), important sources of morbidity and mortality, in people with head and neck cancer (HNC) have received little attention. Between 1980 and 2004, 37 patients with treated HNC and MMLM diagnosed on follow-up imaging (with histological confirmation in 14 cases) were identified. The median interval from diagnosis of HNC to the appearance of MMLM was 14.5 months. The overall median survival was 4 months, and the 1-year crude survival rate (CSR) was 16%. A meaningful difference in the 1-year CSRs between the palliative radiation treated and untreated subjects (39% and 4%, respectively, p < 0.01) was observed. Because associated costs of health care utilization are considerable, and yet survival is limited, optimum management of MMLM-HNC with improvement of prognosis remains a challenge.