Selective neck dissection (SND) is the treatment of choice in patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) and clinically node-negative necks (cN0). The treatment of patients with positive-staged necks (cN+) includes SND as well as comprehensive neck dissection (CND). The clear benefit of one or the other remains under debate. We aim to address this lack of clarity by analysing patients with OSCC staged with clinically node-positive necks, treated with either CND or SND using a level-by-level approach. This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with OSCC with clinically (cN+) and pathologically (pN+) positive cervical lymph nodes (LNs) with clear neck level categorization during the years 2010-2019. In total, 74 patients were analysed. Cox regression analysis found no significance for the type of ND being an independent risk factor, neither for overall survival (OS) nor for disease-free survival (DFS). Regional recurrence of CND cases (5.77%) was comparable to SND cases (9.09%). For OS, extracapsular spread (ECS) and male sex were identified as independent risk factors with poorer outcome. pT-stage and ECS were found to be independent risk factors for DFS. The results of this study suggest that both CND and SND may be viable treatment options for certain patients with OSCC pN+.

UNASSIGNED: This population-based study aims to assess the survival benefits of selective neck dissection (SND) compared to neck observation in patients with T1/T2N0M0 major salivary gland malignancy (MSGC).
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a retrospective review of T1/T2N0M0 MSGC patients who underwent primary tumor surgical extirpation with or without elective neck dissection in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (SEER) from 2004-2015. The impact of SND and clinical variables on overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) was evaluated using Univariate and Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated, and survival rates were assessed via the log-rank test.
UNASSIGNED: Of 3778 post-operative T1-T2N0M0 MSGC patients, 2305 underwent elective neck dissection, while 1473 did not. Median follow-up was 106 months. Univariate and Multivariate analysis identified SND as a prognostic factor for OS in all the study population. After stratified analysis, we found that in the poorly high-grade (differentiated and undifferentiated) patients, the survival showed a significant OS and DSS benefit after receiving SND compared with the neck observations [HR for OS (95%CI): 0.571(0.446-0.731), P<0.001] and [HR for DSS (95%CI): 0.564(0.385-0.826), P=0.003], other than in the well differentiated or moderately differentiated subgroup. Especially, when the pathological is squamous cell carcinoma, the results show that the people underwent SND had better prognosis, not only in OS [HR (95%CI): 0.532(0.322-0.876), P=0.013], but also in DSS [HR (95%CI): 0.330(0.136-0.797), P=0.014]. The multivariate analysis also yielded encouraging results, compared with neck observation, receiving SND bought about a significant independent OS (adjusted HR, 0.555; 95% CI, 0.328-0.941; P=0.029) and DSS (adjusted HR, 0.349; 95% CI, 0.142-0.858; P=0.022) advantage in high grade squamous cell carcinoma MSGC patients. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves also demonstrated that adjusted SND still had significantly better OS(P=0.029) and DSS(P=0.022) than the observation group in patients with high-grade squamous cell carcinoma of MSGC.
UNASSIGNED: Poorly differentiated and undifferentiated T1/T2N0M0 major salivary gland malignancy treated with selective neck dissection demonstrated superior survival compared to neck observation, especially in the pathological subtype of squamous cell carcinoma. These findings suggest the potential benefits of multimodal therapy for appropriately selected patients, emphasizing significant clinical implications.

Among the thyroid cancers, papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common with lymphatic metastasis. It has the propensity to spread to the level II-VI lymph nodes in a predictable manner. We evaluated the pattern of nodal distribution at different levels of neck in papillary thyroid cancer in this Observational Prospective study. Total 41 patients of PTC (Papillary thyroid cancer) were included in the study. 36 out of them were diagnosed as PTC by FNAC and underwent total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection, while 5 patients were histologically confirmed cases of PTC on previous hemithyroidectomy and underwent completion thyroidectomy and central neck dissection .Patients with T3/T4 stage or N1 underwent lateral neck dissection also. Clinicopathological factors such as age, sex, tumor stage, nodal metastasis and extracapsular invasion, were evaluated. Lymph node metastasis was noted in 21 patients (51.2%) and all these patients had central (level VI) lymph node involvement. Among 21 patients, pathological ipsilateral lateral neck metastasis was noted in 6 patients (28.57%) at level II, 10 patients (47.62%) at level III and 8 patients (38.10%) at level IV. Only 5 patients (23.81%) had metastasis at level V. Extracapsular invasion was observed in 10 (24.4%) patients. We concluded that patients with PTC show higher rates of metastasis at central neck (level VI) and are not easily detected on clinical examination or by USG due to low sensitivity but are sensitive and specific for lateral neck nodes in late stages . Thus, ipsilateral selective neck dissection should be considered with total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection in presence of clinically or radiologically evident lateral lymph nodes (preoperatively) and in T3, T4 stage (late stages) tumors.

With the rate of oropharyngeal cancer on the rise, appropriate surgical management is an increasingly important consideration. Much debate currently exists regarding the necessary extent of neck dissections when performing curative surgery for primary oropharyngeal malignancies. Here, we present the case of a 64-year-old patient with p16+ T1N1M0 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the right tonsil. Approximately four years following transoral robotic surgery oropharyngectomy and ipsilateral level II-IV right selective neck dissection, metastatic SCC was discovered on fine-needle aspiration biopsy of a right perifacial lymph node (level Ib). The patient then underwent a revision right neck dissection at levels Ia and Ib. Adjuvant immunotherapy was recommended following revision neck dissection. Postoperative imaging and flexible laryngoscopy three months after surgery were not concerning for cervical lymphadenopathy or oropharyngeal lesions. Although rare, physicians must maintain a healthy level of suspicion for recurrence to level Ib in oropharyngeal primary malignancies.

UNASSIGNED: The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of transoral robotic selective neck dissection (SND) with or without a postauricular incision for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).
UNASSIGNED: We studied 14 patients with PTC who underwent robotic SND via the transoral or combined transoral and postauricular approaches.
UNASSIGNED: The transoral approach was performed on 10 patients for dissection of levels III and IV. An additional postauricular incision was made on 4 patients for dissection of level II in addition to levels III, IV, and V. The operation was completed successfully in 13 patients, except 1 patient with the procedure conversion due to uncontrolled bleeding from the internal jugular vein. The mean numbers of removed lymph nodes in the lateral compartment were 23.1 ± 9.4 and 38.3 ± 8.5 in the transoral and combined groups. Transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred in 1 patient, transient hypoparathyroidism in 3 patients, and chyle leakage in 1 patient. There were no hematomas, mental nerve injuries, surgical space infections, or CO2 embolisms.
UNASSIGNED: Transoral robotic SND is feasible with or without a postauricular incision.

OBJECTIVE: Different parameters have been identified in patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) that have a serious impact on survival, including residual tumour and extracapsular spread. Moreover, other factors, including the lymph node ratio (LNR) and lymph node yield (LNY), have been suggested as prognostic markers.
METHODS: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with OSCC and cervical lymph node metastases during the years 2010-2020. Patients\' records were evaluated regarding lymph node status, final therapy regime, tumour recurrence, time to death, tumour association with death, disease-free survival (DSF), and overall survival (OS).
RESULTS: In 242 patients with a mean age of 63.57 ± 11.24 years, treated either by selective neck dissection (SND; n = 70) or by modified radical neck dissection (MRND; n = 172), 5772 lymph nodes were detected. The LNR and LNY were identified as independent risk factors in OS and DFS. The optimal cut-off point for the LNY was ≥ 17 lymph nodes in the SND and ≥ 27 lymph nodes in the MRND group. The metastatic lymph node clearance (MLNC) was established as a score to relate the LNR and LNY to the extent of lymph node removal. Survival analysis showed statistically significant differences among score levels.
CONCLUSIONS: As information about the extent of nodal dissection is excluded from LNR and LNY, we propose the use of a new scoring system comprising individual cut-off values for LNY and LNR with regard to the extent of neck dissection.
CONCLUSIONS: MLNC might help to identify high-risk OSCC patients with metastatic lymph nodes.

Cervical lymph node metastasis is frequent in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. In addition to the extent of thyroidectomy, the need as well as the extent of concomitant lymphadenectomy has been a subject of controversy and debate. The central compartment is the most frequent site of metastasis followed by the lateral compartment although skip metastasis in the lateral compartment can occur. Papillary thyroid carcinoma can also present with cervical lymph node metastasis, while the primary tumor remains clinically undetectable. Surgical removal of clinically involved nodal metastasis should be mandatory to prevent recurrence and improve disease prognosis. However, despite a low accuracy of preoperative imaging for microscopic disease and the frequent microscopic metastasis to the central compartment, routine prophylactic neck dissection has not been shown to have any relevance to prevent recurrence or improve disease cure. Routine or prophylactic central compartment dissection is generally not recommended unless in the presence of high-risk tumors. The potential benefit of reducing central compartment recurrence or avoiding high-risk reoperation probably outweighs the risk of inducing surgical complication including hypoparathyroidism during routine central neck dissection. Therapeutic lateral neck dissection is performed for clinically involved nodes detected by preoperative imaging confirmed by needle biopsy, while prophylactic lateral neck dissection is contraindicated. The extent of neck dissection has been de-escalated, and compartmental nodal dissection aiming at preservation of function is performed to achieve a complete surgical resection. Postoperative adjuvant radioiodine is frequently administered for patients with positive nodal metastasis (intermediate-risk group) to avoid future recurrence. Routine central neck dissection may also upstage patients with microscopic nodal metastases and increase the use of postoperative adjuvant radioiodine.

The occurrence of occult metastases in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to lower levels in the neck (levels IV and V) or development of skip metastases that bypass the upper neck levels (levels I to III) and go directly to level IV or V is common. This challenges the efficacy of conventional neck dissection approaches in the treatment of OSCC. Therefore, the decision to include lower levels cervical nodes during elective neck dissection of OSCC remains controversial. This systematic review was designed to assess the prevalence of level IV and/or V involvement or skip metastases in patients with the clinically negative neck (cN0) or positive (cN+) oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We searched for studies published between December 2000 and December 2020. Potentially relevant abstracts and full-text articles were screened, and data from the studies were extracted. Quality was rated using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) criteria. In total, 802 abstracts and 227 full-text articles were screened, and 32 studies were included in this analysis. The prevalence of metastasis ranged from 1.8% to 66.0%. The incidence for skip metastasis to level IV or V was low, reaching 8.5%. Evidence favored elective neck dissection, including levels I to III, in selected patients with OSCC and patients with cN0 or cN+ neck. The literature was non-conclusive on the recommendation for inclusion of lower levels.

Objective:To analyze the clinical, pathological features and metastatic regularity of cervical lymph node metastasis in cN+ laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and to explore its diagnosis and management. Methods:Among 1030 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from March 2011 to January 2021, 83 patients with cN+ were included in the retrospective analysis of clinical data and follow-up data. Results:Among the 83 cases of cN+ laryngeal carcinoma, there were pN+65 cases and pN-18 cases. The false positive rate of cN+ was 21.7%. cN+ cervical lymph node metastasis was related to classification and staging, and the difference was statistically significant（P<0.05）.The false positive rate of cN+ in different types of laryngeal carcinoma was 57.7% （16/27） in glottic type and 3.9% （2/55） in supraglottic type. With the increase of T stage, the false positive rate decreased.The false positive rates of different CT imaging features were as follows:①Size:the critical lymph nodes of more than 2 sizes were 27.3% （3/11）, the 1~3 cm of lymph nodes was 29.4% （15/51）, and the lymph nodes > 3 cm were not false positive （0/21）;②The enhancement types of uniform enhancement, non-uniform enhancement and circular enhancement were 34.3% （12/35）, 31.6% （6/19） and 0% （0/29） respectively. ③The proportion of unclear shape and boundary of lymph nodes was 0（0/24）.The neck recurrence rate was 2.4% in the selective neck dissection （SND） and 20.0% in the non-SND. The 3-year neck area control rates of SND and non-SND group were 93.7% and 81.1% respectively, and the difference was statistically significant （P < 0.05）. The 3-year cumulative survival rates of pN+ group and pN- group were 75.5% and 87.5%, respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups （P > 0.05）. The 3-year cumulative survival rates of lymph node extranodal extension ENE+ group and ENE- group were 50.6% and 79.3%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant （P < 0.05）. Conclusion: There is false positive in cN+ laryngeal carcinoma, which is related to tumor classification and staging. Preoperative imaging diagnosis of cN+ should not be over-dependent on size, but should be combined with the specific manifestations of lymph node metastasis such as circular enhancement and unclear boundaries. Proper use of SND in the treatment of cN+ laryngeal carcinoma is safe and effective, and reduces the risk of overtreatment. In patients with pN+ laryngeal carcinoma, postoperative supplementary treatment can improve the neck control rate and survival rate. However, even if postoperative treatment is performed in patients with ENE+, it is still an unfavorable factor affecting the prognosis.
目的：分析cN+喉鳞状细胞癌颈淋巴结转移的临床、病理特点及转移规律，探讨其诊断及处理方式。 方法：从2011年3月—2021年1月于重庆医科大学附属第一医院耳鼻咽喉科手术治疗的1030例喉鳞状细胞癌患者中纳入83例cN+患者进行临床资料及随访资料的回顾性分析。 结果：83例cN+喉癌中，术后pN+65例，pN-18例，cN+假阳性率为21.7%。cN+颈淋巴结转移与分型分期有关，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。不同分型喉癌cN+假阳性率，声门型57.7%（16/27），声门上型3.9%（2/55）。随T分期增加，假阳性率降低。不同CT影像学特征的假阳性率：①大小：2个以上临界淋巴结为27.3%（3/11），淋巴结1～3 cm为29.4%（15/51），淋巴结>3 cm无假阳性（0/21）；②强化类型：均匀强化为34.3%（12/35），不均匀强化为31.6%（6/19），环形强化为0%（0/29）；③淋巴结形态及边界不清为0（0/24）。择区颈淋巴结清扫术（SND）组颈部复发率为2.4%，非SND组为20.0%，复发部位均在手术区域内。SND组和非SND组的3年颈部区域控制率分别为93.7%和81.1%，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。pN+组和pN-组3年累积生存率为75.5%和87.5%，其差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。淋巴结包膜外侵犯（ENE）组和ENE-组3年累积生存率分别为50.6%和79.3%，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。 结论：cN+喉癌存在假阳性，并与肿瘤分型分期有关。术前影像学对cN+的诊断不宜过度依赖大小，应结合环形强化和边界不清等淋巴结转移的特异性表现。恰当应用SND治疗cN+喉癌安全有效，并可减少过度治疗的风险。pN+喉癌患者，术后给予补充治疗能提高颈部控制率及生存率。但ENE+患者即使进行术后治疗，仍然是影响预后的不利因素。.

Oh LJ, Phan K, Kim SW, Low TH, Gupta R, Clark JR. Elective neck dissection vs observation for early-stage oral squamous cell carcinoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Oncol. 2020;105:104,661. doi:10.1016/j.oraloncology.2020.104661.
Funding information not available.
Systematic review with meta-analysis.