Salvage surgery of cervical recurrences after neck dissection or radiotherapy

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Abstract
A series of 113 patients operated on in the period 1980–1989 for a neck recurrence from a head and neck cancer was studied. All patients had no other evidence of disease. The male/female ratio was 93/20, and the median age was 58 years (range 28–87). Previous treatment consisted of surgery (SG) ± radiotherapy (RT) in 81 patients (SG group) and only RT in 32 (RT group): 59 cases presented a relapse in the treated neck and 54 in the contralateral side. All but one contralateral recurrences were in the SG group. Ten patients were lost to followup. The observed 5-year survival rate of the whole series was 29.2% (95% confidence interval, 0%–38%). Considering patients with ipsilateral recurrences, the 5-year disease-free survival rate was 38.7% (95% c.i., 28.7%–48.7%) and 27% (95% c.i., 18%–36%) for the SG and the AT group, respectively. The 5-year disease-free survival rate after SG for contralateral recurrences was 38.8% (95% c.i., 23.8%–53.8%). Dimension and mobility of the neck nodes were the only demonstrable prognostic factors.