Efficacy of routine bilateral neck dissection in the management of the N0 neck in T1-T2 unilateral supraglottic cancer.
BACKGROUND
The treatment of the clinically negative (N0) neck in supraglottic laryngeal cancer continues to be an area of controversy. The aim of this study was to analyze the long-term efficacy of routine bilateral neck dissection compared with ipsilateral neck dissection in T1-T2 N0 lateral supraglottic carcinomas.


METHODS
A retrospective review of 108 patients who underwent surgery for T1-T2 supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma was performed. Forty-eight had undergone ipsilateral functional neck dissection, and 60 had undergone bilateral functional neck dissections. None of these patients received adjuvant radiotherapy.


RESULTS
No significant differences (p = .78) in regional recurrence were observed between the patients treated with bilateral neck dissection (13%) and those treated with ipsilateral neck dissection (17%). The 5-year survival rates were 73% and 80% for the patients who received a bilateral and ipsilateral neck dissection, respectively (p = .51).


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that routine bilateral neck dissection may not be necessary in the surgical treatment of all supraglottic cancers.
Rodrigo
Juan P
JP
Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, C/Celestino Villamil SN, 33006 Oviedo, Spain. juanpablo.rodrigo@sespa.princast.es
Cabanillas
Rubén
R
Franco
Virginia
V
Suárez
Carlos
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005931:Glottis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000379:methods*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome