[Risk factors for distant metastasis in head and neck cancer]. / Fatores de risco para metástases à distância no câncer de cabeça e pescoço.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for the development of distant metastasis (MD) among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) surgically treated. METHODS: A retrospective study of 253 patients from January, 1997 to December, 2002 was performed. Out of them, 10 patients presented DM during the follow up. The following aspects were analyzed gender, age, tumor primary site, TNM classification, cervical lymph node status, and the presence of extracapsular spread - gross or microscopic. RESULTS: The survival average for the patients with DM, after finishing the oncological treatment, was 16 months (standard deviation = 2.256). The presence of both gross extracapsular spread (Odd ratio = 14.429) and the microscopic one (OR = 17.471) and the both the neck advanced pathological staging (OR = 4.409) and the primary tumor staging (RR = 2.929) presented statistical significance as risk fators for the occurrence of DM. CONCLUSION: The risk factors for DM were microscopic and gross extracapsular spread, the pathological presence of positive neck lymph node and advanced primay tumor.