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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Translationally-Relevant Tumor Resection Model for Murine Preclinical Models of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: April 3, 2026
Pattern of lymphatic spread from carcinoma of the buccal mucosa and its implication for less than radical surgery
Manoj Pandey1, Mridula Shukla, C S Nithya
1Department of Surgical Oncology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. manojpandey@vsnl.com
Purpose:
With emerging evidence, focus is shifting to conservative neck procedures aimed at achieving good shoulder function without compromising oncologic safety.
Patients And Methods:
Retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive neck dissections for carcinoma of the buccal mucosa was carried out to evaluate the pattern of lymphatic spread. Pathologic results were correlated with clinical/radiologic findings. Survival was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test.
Results:
Only 36 patients were found to harbor metastasis in the lymph nodes on pathologic examination. Most of these were present in levels I and II only. Skip metastasis was not detected in any patient. None of the patients was found to have involvement of level V nodes, whereas 1 patient had involvement of level IV. Thirty-four patients developed recurrences; 3-year disease-free survival was 48%.
Conclusions:
Lymphatic spread from carcinoma of the buccal mucosa is low. Involvement of level IV is seen in only 1% of patients. A more conservative approach to the neck in patients with carcinoma of the buccal mucosa is recommended.
