Surgical management of the N0 neck in early stage T1–2 oral cancer; a personal perspective of early and late impalpable disease

摘要

The management of the N0 neck in early stage oral cancer remains controversial. The evidence in the literature for elective neck dissection, which is reviewed in this paper, is conflicting. My personal view is that most papers mistakenly assume that the N0 equates to an “early stage” neck whereas a neck with palpable nodes represents disease at a “late” stage.