RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Relevance of Oropharyngeal Cancer Lymph Node Metastases in the Submandibular Triangle and the Posterior Triangle Apex
JF Anticancer Research
JO Anticancer Res
FD International Institute of Anticancer Research
SP 4785
OP 4790
VO 29
IS 11
A1 WIEGAND, SUSANNE
A1 ESTERS, JUDITH
A1 MÜLLER, HANS-HELGE
A1 JÄCKER, TIMM
A1 PAPASPYROU, GIORGOS
A1 ROEßLER, MARION
A1 WERNER, JOCHEN A.
A1 SESTERHENN, ANDREAS M.
YR 2009
UL http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/29/11/4785.abstract
AB 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.