[Surgical management for occult cervical metastasis of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
In oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the management for clinically negative (cN0) neck remains controversial. This study was to explore rational neck management for cN0 cases.


METHODS
Clinical data of 187 patients with oral tongue SCC of cN0, who received surgery alone, were retrospectively reviewed. Rules of occult nodal metastasis, factors that impact cervical node metastasis, and prognostic factors were analyzed. Neck recurrences of different treatment groups were compared.


RESULTS
Incidence of occult nodal metastasis in all patients was 23.0% (43/187). The most common site of occult nodal metastases was ipsilateral level II. About 83.0% of occult nodal metastases were found in ipsilateral levels I, II, and III. Pathologic grade was an independent influencing factor for occult neck metastases. Occult neck metastasis was an independent prognostic factor for oral tongue SCC. Supraomohyoid neck dissection (SOHND) was an effective therapeutic method for oral tongue SCC of cN0; the neck recurrence rate after SOHND was only 6.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
SOHND is the effective and safe treatment for oral tongue SCC.
Guo
Zhu-Ming
ZM
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060,P.R.China. tjkzl@gzsums.edu.cn
Wang
Shun-Lan
SL
Zeng
Zong-Yuan
ZY
Chen
Fu-Jin
FJ
Zhang
Quan
Q
Wei
Mao-Wen
MW
Yang
An-Kui
AK
Wu
Guo-Hao
GH
Peng
Han-Wei
HW
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005927:Glossectomy; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000379:methods*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*