title: The influence of extent of neck treatment upon control of cervical lymphadenopathy in cancers of the oral tongue.
abstract: This is a retrospective analysis of the management of the neck in 84 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue treated with curative intent between 1968 and 1985. Patients with a clinically negative neck were treated to the neck only if the patient was thought to have a reasonable probability of occult neck metastases. This policy resulted in a 3-year adjusted neck control rate for N0 patients treated with limited (no, bilateral-partial, or ipsilateral) neck therapy of 38% compared with 95% for patients treated with bilateral, whole neck irradiation (p less than .001). None of the relapses in the patients with limited irradiation were in the treatment portal. Attempted salvage with a neck dissection resulted in cure in only 30%. The 3-year adjusted neck control rate for the N1 and N2 patients treated with total neck irradiation and surgery was 75% and 63%, respectively. The location of recurrence in these patients was in the field of irradiation, but contralateral to the side of the neck dissection.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Center, University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville 22908.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Spaulding
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Korb
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Constable
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Cantrell
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*