Table 2.
Diagnostic procedures and treatment regimens applied to neck squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary (NSCCUP) patients of cohorts 1 and 2.
| Diagnostics and Therapy | Total | Cohort 1 n (%) |
Cohort 2 n (%) |
P value# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PET-CT | no | 63 | 52 | (98.1) | 11 | (17.7) | 6.03 × 10−18 |
| yes | 52 | 1 | (1.9) | 51 | (82.3) | ||
| Tonsillectomy | yes | 48 | 4 | (7.5) | 44 | (81.0) | 1.21 × 10−14 |
| no | 60 | 49 | (92.5) | 11 | (17.7) | ||
| earlier | 7 | – | 7 | (11.3) | |||
| First therapy regimen | Op | 16 | 2 | (3.8) | 14 | (22.6) | 2.61 × 10−4 |
| Op+POCT | 3 | 2 | (3.8) | 1 | (1.6) | ||
| Op+PORT | 43 | 31 | (58.5) | 12 | (19.4) | ||
| Op+PORCT | 48 | 17 | (32.1) | 31 | (50.0) | ||
| pCRT | 3 | 1 | (1.9) | 2 | (3.2) | ||
| pRT | 2 | – | 2 | (3.2) | |||
| Neck dissection (ND) | No | 26 | 18 | (34.0) | 8 | (12.9) | 0.007 |
| Yes | 89 | 35 | (66.0) | 54 | (87.1) | ||
| ND | both sides | 38 | 4 | (7.5) | 34 | (54.8) | 4.17 × 10−7 |
| (SND/MRND/RND) | one side | 51 | 31 | (58.5) | 20 | (32.3) | |
| none | 26 | 18 | (34.0) | 8 | (12.9) | ||
| Extranodal extension | positive | 62 | 27 | (50.9) | 35 | (56.5) | 2.61 × 10−5 |
| negative | 18 | 1 | (1.9) | 17 | (27.4) | ||
| unknown | 35 | 25 | (47.2) | 10 | (16.1) | ||
| Resection margins | R0 | 76 | 28 | (52.8) | 48 | (77.4) | 0.005 |
| other‡ | 39 | 25 | (47.2) | 14 | (22.6) | ||
| Chemotherapy | Cisplatin | 22 | 4 | (7.5) | 18 | (29.0) | 0.010 |
| Cisplatin & 5-FU | 26 | 10 | (18.9) | 16 | (25.8) | ||
| Carboplatin | 2 | 2 | (3.8) | – | |||
| Other | 6 | 4 | (7.5) | 2 | (3.2) | ||
| None | 59 | 33 | (62.3) | 26 | (41.9) | ||
| Irradiation type | IMRT | 47 | 2 | (3.8) | 45 | (72.6) | 1.37 × 10−19 |
| Other | 49 | 47 | (88.7) | 2 | (3.2) | ||
| None | 19 | 4 | (7.5) | 15 | (24.2) | ||
#P value from Pearson’s Chi-square (χ2) tests; PET-CT, [18F]-FDG-positron emission tomography-computed tomography; Op, surgical resection of neck nodes; POChT, post-operative (adjuvant) chemotherapy; PORT, post-operative (adjuvant) radiotherapy; PORCT, post-operative (adjuvant) radio-chemotherapy; pCRT, primary (definitive) combined radio-chemotherapy; pRT, primary (definitive) radiotherapy; SND/MRND/RND, selective/modified radical/radical neck dissection; 5-FU, 5-fluorouracil; IMRT, intensity-modulated radiation therapy; ‡other summarizes R1, R2 or core biopsies taken prior to pR(C)T.
P values from Pearson’s Chi-square tests < 0.05 are in bold.