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Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Modified Radical Neck Dissection for Cervical Metastasis
Published on: February 20, 2026
[Cervical metastasis in patients with T2-4 cN0 laryngeal carcinoma]
Shen-shan Jia1, Hong-jiang He, Cheng Xiang
1Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Third Affiliated Hospital Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150040, China. dr.jsh@163.com
Objective:
To study the characteristics of the cervical lymph node metastasis in clinical N0 (cN0) patients with laryngeal carcinoma and its implication in clinical treatment.
Methods:
76 patients with laryngeal carcinomas of T2-4cN0 category were divided into two groups in random: 21(22 sides) radical neck dissection(RND) and 55(60 sides) functional neck dissection(FND) were performed. Lymph nodes were studied histologically according to the levels.
Results:
On an average, 29.6 lymph nodes were obtained in one side of neck in RND group, and 24.7 in FND group(F = 3.145, P = 0.068). The occult metastasis rates were 33.3% (7/21) in RND group and 34.5% (19/55) in FND group. 25 of 26 patients (96.2%) who had positive nodes involved only the levels II and III. 2130 lymph nodes were obtained in all samples, 59 of 60 positive nodes(98.3%) were located in the level II and III. The 5 and 10-year survival rates of the two groups were 71.4% (15/21), 76.4% (42/55) and 61.9% (13/21), 68.9% (31/45), respectively with no statistical difference(chi 2 = 0.2394, P > 0.5; chi 2 = 0.3143, P > 0.05). Ipsilateral cervical recurrence rates in two groups were 9.5% (2/21) and 7.3% (4/55), respectively with no statistical difference (chi 2 = 0.1059, P > 0.900). 10-year mortalities with negative and positive cervical lymph nodes were 16.7% (7/42) and 62.5% (15/24) respectively, which had statistically difference (chi 2 = 14.4375, P < 0.005).
Conclusion:
The lateral neck (level II, III and IV) dissection may be suitable for the treatment laryngeal carcinoma patients with T2-4cN0.
