[Nodal levels--anatomic and clinical correlations in conformal radiotherapy]

The application of 3-D computer radiotherapy (CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer requires a standardization of the procedures for the delineation of the target volumes. Over the past few years, some proposals emerged from the literature for the delineation of the neck node levels. Detailed examination of these proposals however revealed some important discrepancies. The objective of the present article is to present the consensus guidelines for the delineation of the node levels in the node-negative neck.