Lymph node response and its relationship to prognosis in carcinomas of the head and neck.

The lymph nodes of 32 patients operated on for carcinomas of the larynx and pharynx, were evaluated for the pattern of lymph node response. Pattern 1 (predominantly lymphocytes) and pattern 2 (predominantly germinal centres) showed a fewer number of nodal metastases than pattern 3 (non-stimulated nodes). Well-differentiated carcinomas predominated in patterns 1 and 2, whereas moderately and poorly differentiated predominated in pattern 3. Patterns 1 and 2 predominated in clinical stages I-III, and pattern 3 in stage IV. The survival decreased progressively from pattern 1 to pattern 3.