[Prognostic factors of cervical lymph metastases from squamous cell carcinomas the head and neck].

Cervical lymph node prognostic factors were investigated in 382 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients including oral cavity cancer, oropharngeal cancer, hypopharyngeal cancer and laryngeal cancer. The overall five year survival rate of these patients was 46.1%, and the 5 year survival rate was 49.7%, 39.7%, 35.0% and 60.3% in carcinomas of oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx, respectively. It was confirmed that clinical N staging, the size of lymph nodes, pathological conditions of neck nodes, numbers of positive areas and the lowest level of invasion are of prognostic value. Some suitable measures must be taken to cope with these factors to improve the five-year survival rate of patients with SCC of the head and neck.