Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Porcine As a Training Module for Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction
Published on: September 29, 2018
Neck Dissection and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Efficacy in Head and Neck Cancer: A Retrospective Study
Yoh-Ichiro Iwasa1, Kentaro Hori2, Yoh Yokota2
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan iwasa@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
Background/Aim:
T-cell priming within tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) is essential for optimal immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) activity. Because neck dissection (ND) removes cervical lymph nodes that may function as TDLNs in head and neck cancer (HNC), its impact on subsequent ICI efficacy remains clinically relevant. This study investigated whether prior ND influences treatment outcomes with nivolumab in recurrent or metastatic HNC.
Patients And Methods:
Fifty-four patients with recurrent or metastatic HNC treated with nivolumab between 2017 and 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were stratified into locoregional disease (LRD; n=41) and distant metastasis (DM; n=13) cohorts. Within each cohort, outcomes were compared between patients with and without prior ND.
Results:
In the LRD cohort (n=41), the median progression-free survival was 2.3 vs. 4.0 months (p=0.089) and median overall survival was 9.8 vs. 18.8 months (p=0.044) for the ND and non-ND groups, respectively. In the DM cohort (n=13), outcomes were unaffected by ND. Multivariate analysis showed a non-significant trend toward worse outcomes in the ND group.
Conclusion:
Prior ND was associated with inferior survival in LRD but not in DM-only disease, suggesting that an ND-related loss of TDLN function reduces ICI efficacy.
Related Concept Videos
Arteries of the Head and Neck
The internal carotid arteries supply blood to the anterior portion of the cerebrum. They enter the...
Veins of Head and Neck
On the other hand, the vertebral veins, unlike their arterial counterparts, are not primarily responsible for brain drainage. Instead, they drain the cervical vertebrae, spinal cord, and some small...
Muscles of the Anterior Neck
The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...
Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a...
Self-Efficacy

