Does Age Affect the Size of Metastatic Lymph Nodes in Head and Neck Cancer?

The aim of the study was to determine if age plays a role in the size of metastatic lymph nodes in elderly patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). In 180 HNSCC patients with metastatic lymph nodes, largest metastatic lymph node (SMLN), diameter of metastatic deposit (DMD), and the ratio of non-metastatic lymphoid tissue to the size of largest metastatic lymph node (RNML) were recorded. The patients were divided into 2 groups (group 1: <65 years; group 2: ≥65 years) to analyse the correlation between SMLN, DMD, RNML, and age. ,Median SMLN and DMD in the entire study population was 17 mm and 15 mm, respectively. There was not a significant correlation between age, and SMLN or DMD (r= 0.039 and P= 0.64, and r= 0.055 and P= 0.54, respectively). Extracapsular spread (ECS) was observed in 57.6% of patients in group 2 and in 50.4% of patients in group 1. Although ECS was more frequent in group 2, there was not a significant difference in SMLN, RMLN and DMD between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, age did not affect the size of metastatic lymph nodes in the patients with HNSCC.