Relevance of Oropharyngeal Cancer Lymph Node Metastases in the Submandibular Triangle and the Posterior Triangle Apex
- SUSANNE WIEGAND1,
- JUDITH ESTERS1,
- HANS-HELGE MÜLLER2,
- TIMM JÄCKER3,
- GIORGOS PAPASPYROU1,
- MARION ROEßLER4,
- JOCHEN A. WERNER1 and
- ANDREAS M. SESTERHENN1
- 1Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, UKGM, Marburg, Germany
- 2Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, UKGM, Marburg, Germany
- 3Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, UKGM, Marburg, Germany
- 4Institute of Pathology, UKGM, Marburg, Germany
- Correspondence to: Dr. Andreas Sesterhenn, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Giessen & Marburg, Campus Marburg, Deutschhausstr. 3, 35037 Marburg, Germany. Tel: +49 64215862888, Fax: +49 64215866367, e-mail: sesterhe{at}med.uni-marburg.de
Abstract
Background: Neck dissection of levels I and IIB is time consuming and can cause several comorbidities. The aim was to analyze whether levels I and IIB need to be dissected in patients with oropharyngeal cancer and clinical N0 or N+ neck. Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 77 patients with oropharyngeal cancer was carried out with evaluation of the incidence of neck node metastasis in levels I and IIB. Results: None of the patients with cN0 neck had metastases in level I or IIB; 12.8% of the patients with cN+ neck had metastases in level I, 35.1% in level IIA and 25.6% had metastases in level IIB. Conclusion: Levels I and IIB should be dissected in cN+ neck in order to achieve maximal oncological safety. The preservation of levels I and IIB in cN0 neck seems to be justified in terms of improving functional results and concomitant reduction of operation time.
- Received June 18, 2009.
- Revision received September 29, 2009.
- Accepted October 6, 2009.
- Copyright© 2009 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved
