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Date Published: 09/02/2026
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.51298/vmj.v559i1.17410
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Vol. 559 No. 1 (2026)
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Các bài báo
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Lý, X. Q., & Trần, T. H. P. (2026). A SURVEY ON THE RATE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCULT NODE METASTASIS IN PATIENTS WITH SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE HYPOPHARYNX AND LARYNX. Vietnam Medical Journal, 559(1). https://doi.org/10.51298/vmj.v559i1.17410

A SURVEY ON THE RATE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF OCCULT NODE METASTASIS IN PATIENTS WITH SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE HYPOPHARYNX AND LARYNX

Xuân Quang Lý, Thị Hà Phương Trần

Main Article Content

Abstract

Background: The management of the clinically node-negative (cN0) neck in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the hypopharynx and larynx remains controversial. The decision for elective treatment depends on the risk of occult lymph node metastasis (OLM), but this rate is not well-documented in Ho Chi Minh City. Objective: To survey the rate of OLM in patients with cN0 hypopharyngeal and laryngeal SCC, and to identify at-risk nodal groups. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted by reviewing medical records of 78 patients with hypopharyngeal and laryngeal SCC who underwent primary tumor resection and bilateral neck dissection of levels II, III, and IV at the University Medical Center HCMC and Military Hospital 175 from January 2021 to June 2025. OLM analysis was performed on a subgroup of 43 cN0 patients. Results: The overall OLM rate was 11.6% (5/43). The ipsilateral OLM rate was 9.3%, and the contralateral rate was 2.3% (p>0.05). OLM was found in level II ipsilateral (4.7%), level III ipsilateral (4.7%), and level II contralateral (2.3%). No OLM was detected in level IV. Conclusion: The OLM rate in cN0 patients with hypopharyngeal and laryngeal SCC was 11.6%, with metastases predominantly occurring in ipsilateral levels II and III. The risk of contralateral OLM was low (2.3%) in the cN0 group but increased significantly when the ipsilateral neck was clinically positive. No OLM was observed in level IV in this study

Article Details

Keywords

hypopharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, occult metastasis, neck dissection.

References

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