Level V involvement in patients with early T-stage, node-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the risk of level V nodal involvement for early T-stage and node positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (ORO-SCC).


METHODS
Retrospective analysis performed on patients with ORO-SCC and clinically positive lymph nodes who had undergone upfront elective dissection of level V before definitive chemoradiotherapy. Pathological data collected and prevalence of involvement of level V determined.


RESULTS
A total of 119 patients had level V dissection. The prevalence of pathologically positive lymph nodes in level V was 3.4% (4/119). Moreover, it was observed only in the presence of pathological involvement of multiple other nodal levels (4/52 patients, 7.7% vs. 0/67 in patients with a single nodal station involved, chi(2)P = .02).


CONCLUSIONS
Subclinical involvement of level V in ORO-SCC is rare, especially in the presence of disease confined to a single nodal level. The present data do not support its dissection after primary chemoradiotherapy.
Pattani
Kavita M
KM
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-0910, USA.
Califano
Joseph
J
Sanguineti
Giuseppe
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment