Abstract
There are various indications of neck dissection for tongue carcinoma. The treatments for many diseases have been standardized, and we considered that neck dissection for tongue carcinoma. The subjects were 110 patients with tongue carcinoma in 9 hospitals from 1998 to 1999. Based on retrospective data we determined treatment protocols for tongue carcinoma. Elective neck dissection for patients with T1N0 and early T2N0 was not necessary, but that for patients with late T2N0 and T3N0 was necessary. The necessity of neck dissection of level I to IV was confirmed for patients with TN1 or N2a. The extent of neck dissection for patients with TN2b, N2c, or N3 was not prescribed, because these cases include a variety of tumors. The rate of death caused by cervical metastasis for patients with T1N0, early T2N0, late T2N0, or T3N0 was 3%, 6%, 23%, and 13%, respectively however the rate of cervical metastasis for these groups was 19%, 33%, 31%, and 36%, respectively. Based on these results, this protocol for N0 patients was adequate. The pathological sites of cervical metastasis in patients with TN1 were all in the area of level I to III. The adequate area of neck dissection for patients with TN1 was level I to III. The pathological cervical metastatic sites of patients with TN2b, N2c, or N3 were all in the area of level I to IV. The adequate area of neck dissection for those with TN2b, N2c, and N3 was level I to IV.
