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Updated: Jul 29, 2025
Author Spotlight: A Model to Study the Systemic and Local Dynamics of CD8+ T Cells During LN Metastasis
Published on: January 26, 2024
Incidence and spread pattern of lymph node metastasis from submandibular gland cancer
Kotaro Tamagawa1, Naoki Otsuki2,3, Hikari Shimoda1
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1, Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan.
Objectives:
To clarify the indication of neck dissection (ND) for patient with submandibular gland (SMG) cancer.
Methods:
A total of 43 patients with SMG cancer were retrospectively analyzed. Forty-one patients underwent ND: Levels I-V in 19 patients, Levels I-III in 18 patients, and Level Ib in 4 patients. The other two patients did not undergo ND, since preoperative diagnoses were benign. Postoperative radiotherapy was performed in 19 patients with positive surgical margin, high grade cancer or stage IV disease.
Results:
LN metastases were pathologically confirmed in all patients with cN + and 6 out of 31 patients with cN-. No patients developed regional recurrence during follow-up periods. Ultimately, LN metastases were pathologically confirmed in 17 of 27 high grade, one out of 9 intermediate grade, but not in 7 low grade.
Conclusions:
Prophylactic neck dissection should be considered in T3/4 and high grade SMG cancers.
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