Relationship between "dynamic histology" and metastases of laryngeal tumors.

The clinical characteristics of laryngeal cancer, its site and extent, determine the incidence of regional metastases. However, data have also shown that lymph node involvement is influenced by the degree of malignancy of the tumor. In the course of histoautoradiographic processing of 79 laryngeal tumors and a 5-8-year follow-up study of the patients, a correlation between proliferative activity and incidence of metastasis was found. Well differentiated tumors with low proliferative activity rarely metastasized whereas in cases of slightly differentiated tumors of strong proliferative activity the occurrence of manifested or occult metastases should always be taken into consideration. The state of the lymph node determines decisively the prognosis and treatment of laryngeal cancer. In some cases, preventive interventions may improve the therapeutical results in seriously endangered patients.