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Patients with unilateral squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and ipsilateral lymph node metastasis do not profit from bilateral neck dissection

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Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the necessity of elective bilateral neck dissection for treating strict unilateral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue.

Methods

A cohort of 169 patients with unilateral non-midline crossing SCCs of the tongue treated by local resection and neck dissection was investigated. Study endpoints were nodal relapse and overall survival. The mean follow-up was 7.4 years.

Results

A total of 146 (88.1%) patients were treated by neck dissection. Lymph node metastases were diagnosed in 50 (34.2%) patients. Only two (1.1%) had contralateral lymph node metastases. Risk factors for developing a primary lymph node metastasis were size of tumor (T2/T3, p = 0.03; OR = 2.2), lymphangiosis (p = 0.003; OR = 4.7), and higher-grade differentiation (p = 0.051; OR = 2.43). Metachronous lymph node metastases were detected in 23 (13.6%) patients (19 ipsilateral, one contralateral and three bilateral). The main risk factor for developing a metachronous lymph node metastasis was the presence of a primary lymph node metastasis (p = 0.004; HR = 4.65). Patients with initial neck dissection came up with lower 5-year recurrence rates (13.6%) compared to patients without neck dissection (27.3%; p = 0.014). Bilateral neck dissection showed no advantage regarding nodal relapse free and overall survival (p = 0.606) compared to unilateral neck dissection irrespective of initial N or T stage.

Conclusion

Patients with unilateral SCC of the tongue benefit from an ipsilateral neck dissection regarding nodal relapse. The value of elective bilateral neck dissection as standard treatment seems questionable even if positive lymph nodes were diagnosed ipsilateral at primary therapy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cranio- and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hospital of the University of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Christoph Klingelhöffer, Andreas Gründlinger, Gerrit Spanier, Maximilian Gottsauner, Steffen Mueller, Johannes K. Meier, Torsten E. Reichert & Tobias Ettl

  2. Department of Dermatology, Hospital of the University of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Stephan Schreml

Authors
  1. Christoph Klingelhöffer
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  9. Tobias Ettl
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christoph Klingelhöffer.

Ethics declarations

This study was not funded. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study has been approved by the appropriate Ethical Committee (17-TEMP186882-104).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Klingelhöffer, C., Gründlinger, A., Spanier, G. et al. Patients with unilateral squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and ipsilateral lymph node metastasis do not profit from bilateral neck dissection. Oral Maxillofac Surg 22, 185–192 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-018-0690-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-018-0690-1

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