Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery
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Review Meta Analysis
Resection of subsequent pulmonary metastases from treated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Pulmonary metastasectomy involves the surgical removal of pulmonary nodules. It is a recognised therapeutic modality for the treatment of metastatic disease. There is no consensus as to the role of pulmonary metastasectomy in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The objective of this study was to determine whether, in selected patients, resection of subsequent pulmonary metastases prolongs survival in patients already treated for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and to identify independent risk factors that influence 5-year survival of patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy. ⋯ This systematic review provides level 2a evidence of the effectiveness of pulmonary metastasectomy for metachronous pulmonary metastases from head and neck squamous carcinoma, which may offer prolonged survival for selected patients. Poor prognostic factors for pulmonary metastasectomy in this cohort of patients include the presence of lymph node metastasis at the diagnosis of the original tumour, squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, incomplete pulmonary resection and the presence of multiple pulmonary nodules.