Neck Dissection for Cutaneous Head and Neck Melanomas

Abstract

There are no detailed clinical practice guidelines for neck dissection of skin cancers located in the head and neck. Here we report our cases and examine how and which lymph node groups should be dissected. From January of 1984 to December of 2003, we performed neck dissections or sentinel node biopsies of 24 cases with head and neck malignant melanoma. We ordinarily perform selective neck dissection, except in advanced cases. We describe the levels or sublevels removed according to the location of the primary lesion. Our choices of operation and regions of dissection are considered to be appropriate at present, but future revisions and reevaluations are expected as cases accumulate. The next problem will be to determine the range of operation and adaptation, depending on the kind of skin cancer and degree of progression.