Impact of elective neck dissection on the outcome of oral squamous cell carcinomas arising in the maxillary alveolus and hard palate.

Abstract

Whether elective lymph neck dissection (ELND) is associated with improved survival in oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the maxillary alveolus/hard palate is not known. One hundred ninety-nine patients presenting de novo and receiving treatment for clinically node negative SCC of the maxillary alveolus/hard palate at 2 cancer centers between 1985 and 2011 were analyzed. Forty-two patients (21%) received ELND. Occult nodal metastases were present in 29% of the dissected necks. The ELND group had more T3 to T4 status tumors (62% vs 34%; p < .001) and positive-margin resections (59% vs 38%; p = .019). Patients undergoing ELND experienced lower rates of neck recurrence (6% vs 21%; p = .031), superior 5-year recurrence-free survival (68% vs 45%; p = .026), and overall survival (86% vs 62%; p = .043). ELND was associated with a 2-fold decrease in risk of recurrence in multivariable analysis. ELND was associated with lower rates of recurrence and improved survival in SCC of the maxillary alveolus/hard palate. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1688-E1694, 2016.