Head and Neck Cancer Research

Number of lymph nodes in neck dissection and the relation of positive nodes as a prognostic indicator in aerodigestive tract cancers: Retrospective study done in two major head & neck hospitals and research centers

Introduction: Little research has been conducted about the number of lymph node and the lymph node ratio and its value as a prognostic predictor in our region and how well it help deciding the treatment plan in patient with aerodigestive tract malignancies. So the objective was to do analyze the number of lymph node and lymph node ratio and its relation to prognosis.

Objective: To find the value of the number of lymph nodes and the lymph node ratio in neck dissection as a prognostic indicator in aerodigestive tract cancers.

Method: This is a retrospective study done on more than 100 patients diagnosed with aerodigestive tract cancers who underwent neck dissection and met the criteria in the last 10 years in the King Abdulaziz University Hospital and National Guard Hospital in King Abdulaziz Medical Center Jeddah, KSA. Patients’ data were collected, total number of lymph nodes, number of positive lymph node and lymph node ratio were taken, analyzed with the treatment plan done, prognosis, recurrence rate, and overall survival.

Conclusion: Our results concluded that the yield number of the lymph node taken in a neck dissection and the value of the lymph node ratio can be a good tool in deciding the treatment plan of patients with aerdigestive tract cancer weather it is surgery, neo-adjuvant chemo radiation, or post-op radiation therapy. The study results also showed that the lymph node ratio is a good prognostic indicator and can be used as a valuable tool and the smaller the lymph node ratio is, the lower chances of recurrence and the better chances of overall survival.

Author(s):

Mohammed Abdulghani Nujoom

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