A retrospective analysis was made in 72 patients with metastatic carcinoma among 667 patients on whom a biopsy of th cervical lymph node were performed from January 1987 to December 1991. The primary origin could be found in 49 patients(68.1%)
among 72
patients, but could not be found in 23 patients(31.9%). In 23 cases of unknown origin of primary malignancy, 19 were in the unilateral site, and 4 were in the bilateral sites. In 19 unilateral cases. 13 were in the right side of the neck and 9
were
in
the left side. The pathologic findings were adenocarcinoma in 12 cases, squamous cell carcinoma in 8 cases, and undifferentiated carcinoma in 3 cases. Chemotherapy alone was performed in 6 cases. radical neck dissection plus radiation in 5 cases,
radiation therapy alone in 5 cases, and radiation plus chemotherapy in 3 cases. The follow-up information was obtained from 17 cases in 23 patients, and 16 patients died of their disease. The mean survival time was 10.9 months following the
diagnosis:
7.9 months in adenocarcinoma, 13.0 months in squamous cell carcinoma, and 6.9 months in undifferentiated carcinoma, respectively. The prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma was better than that of adenocarcinoma. Although the prognosis of squamous
cell
carcinoma was better than that of adenocarcinoma. Although the prognosis of metastatic cervical cancer of unknown primary origin was very poor, an aggressive diagnostic approach and therapeutic trial are required especially in squamous cell
carcinoma.
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