Distant metastasis at the time of presentation of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective chart review from a tertiary cancer care centre.

The rate of distant metastasis was 10 per cent in the study. Patients with poorly differentiated tumours, locally advanced primary lesions, higher nodal stage, particularly with extra nodal extension, and hypopharyngeal primary, tend to exhibit increased risk for distant metastasis at the time of presentation.