Skip to main content
Medicine LibreTexts

6.8.11: 11. Indications for Neck Dissection with Oral Cancer

  • Page ID
    18414
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Clinically/radiologically N+ neck: Modified radical neck dissection (MND) / Radical neck dissection (RND)

    Clinically/radiologically N0 neck

    • >20% risk of occult nodes
      • T1 <4mm depth: Watchful waiting
      • T1 >4mm depth, T2-T4: Electively treat neck
    • Elective SND Levels I – IV of ipsilateral neck
    • Convert to MND if suspicious nodes in neck (+/- frozen section)
    • Elective contralateral neck dissection for tumour approaching/crossing midline

    D’Cruz AK, Vaish R, Kapre N et al. Elective versus Therapeutic Neck Dissection in Node-Negative Oral Cancer. 2015. N Engl J Med;373:521-9


    This page titled 6.8.11: 11. Indications for Neck Dissection with Oral Cancer is shared under a CC BY-NC 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Open Access Atlas of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Operative Surgery.