DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2018.v06i03.055

Pages: 1078-1082

The management of the cervical lymph nodes is an integral part of the overall treatment of the oral cavity malignancies. The indications and uses of the various types of neck dissections and pre and postoperative radiotherapy has been a subject of much debate. Based on the results of the present study and the literature available with us, we can conclude that. (1)Dissemination of metastatic cancer to regional lymph nodes from primary sites in the upper aero digestive tract occurs in a predictable and sequential pattern. For primary tumours in the oral cavity, the regional lymph nodes at the highest risk for early dissemination by metastatic cancer.(2) For patients with clinically negative neck nodes, selective neck dissection is as effective as radical neck dissection and recommended with postoperative radiotherapy.(3) The failure rates with selective neck dissection is slightly higher than with radical neck dissection. Although radical dissection gives the best loco regional control of the disease, selective neck dissection with post-operative radiotherapy or one of the modifications of the radical neck dissection is being offered to carefully selected patients.