title: Prophylactic neck dissection in squamous cell carcinoma of oral tongue: a prospective randomized study.
abstract: This paper presents the first report of an ongoing prospective randomised clinical trial in early T1T2N0 carcinoma of the oral tongue. The problems of regular follow-up in an indigent population from the vast rural expanse of India has been successfully overcome in this trial by close personal follow-up. The trial addresses itself specifically to prophylactic vs. therapeutic surgical management of the neck in T1T2N0 patients with cancer of the oral tongue. Overall disease, free survival (median follow-up 22 months) is higher (64% vs. 47%) in the group receiving prophylactic neck dissection. Disease-free survival for those with positive nodes at prophylactic neck dissection was twice that of those who underwent a subsequent therapeutic neck dissection (57% vs. 28%). Contralateral neck node metastasis has been identified as a significant factor in neck failures in those patients undergoing simultaneous prophylactic neck dissection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tata Memorial Hospital, Bombay, India.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fakih
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005927:Glossectomy; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*